Decatur, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Decatur's dealer rule for used gold, silver and gems sits in § 16-20. Precious metals and precious stones cover all gold, silver, pearls, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, plus any ornament or item made from or containing gold or silver or set with such stones. The rule applies to a person within the corporate limits or the police jurisdiction of the City of Decatur, Alabama, who engages in the business of purchasing those items, and to anyone buying under an advertisement that offers to buy them.

Before starting, the buyer must notify the chief of police by letter, giving the name of the person conducting the business and the address where it will be conducted. Subsection (c) requires a purchase book with an entry for every purchase: the seller's name, address, date of birth and driver's license number (or other adequate and positive identification), the time and date, and a detailed description including markings, make, pattern, size, weight and height, plus the kind, size and setting of any stones. The book is kept for six (6) months after any purchase and is open during business hours to any authorized law enforcement officer.

Subsection (d) requires each seller's items to be packaged or kept separately for fifteen (15) days, and bars selling, removing, intermingling or altering the items until fifteen days after notice of the purchase goes to the chief of police. Subsection (e) requires a daily report, mailed or delivered to the chief of police on forms the chief furnishes, listing each item bought the previous day. Subsection (f) exempts a merchant or jeweler buying for commercial resale from a person whose principal business is wholesale sale of such items.