Corvallis, OR Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Corvallis Municipal Code § 8.09.020(15) defines a secondhand dealer as any person engaged in a business that purchases used merchandise from any person at the dealer's place of business, excluding jewelers whose new-jewelry sales equal at least 80 percent of gross sales. Section 8.09.020(14) lists the covered secondhand items in detail: sterling silver, audio and video equipment, cameras and optics, power tools, automotive hand tools, musical instruments, household appliances, firearms, telephones, bicycles, and clocks and watches, among others. Section 8.09.040 requires every secondhand dealer to obtain a City license before buying any of these items and to post it conspicuously at the business entrance; only one City license is needed even if a dealer also operates as an antique, precious-metal, or scrap-metal dealer.

Section 8.09.030 exempts trade-ins on store merchandise, transactions between two licensed dealers, and used-vehicle sales governed by ORS Chapter 803. Applicants file a sworn form under Section 8.09.050 that the Chief of Police investigates, and the City Manager can deny an application for theft-related convictions under ORS Chapter 164, dishonest business practices, or a prior violation of this chapter. Section 8.09.090 requires a Corvallis Police Department transaction form for every purchase, capturing the seller's name, birth date, physical description, and identification, filed weekly by mail or daily if digitally transmitted, and retained for at least one year.

Section 8.09.100 bars buying from anyone under 18 without a guardian, from intoxicated or incapacitated sellers, or from goods with removed serial numbers, and holds all purchased property for 15 days before resale.