Calaveras County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Calaveras County Code Ch. 5.20
- Registered with
- County sheriff, annually
- Bill of sale
- Required for every purchase
- Must be produced
- On demand to law enforcement
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 5.20.050
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Anyone who buys or transports scrap metal or junk in Calaveras County must register annually with the sheriff under Chapter 5.20, carry a written certificate proving it, and get a bill of sale for every purchase. Failing to register, carry the certificate, or keep the required bill of sale is a misdemeanor.
Any person who engages in the purchase or transportation of scrap metal or junk within the county shall, in each year that such activity is to be conducted and before conducting such activity, register with the sheriff of the county, and shall obtain, and shall keep in his possession at all times that he is engaged in such activity, a written certificate from the sheriff to the effect that such registration has been effected. ... Any person who engages in the purchase or transportation of junk or scrap metal shall, as to all junk or scrap metal purchased or received after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, obtain from each person from whom he purchases or receives scrap metal or junk a written bill of sale, containing the amount, kind and general description of the junk or scrap metal purchased or received, and shall have such bill of sale in his possession at all times while engaged in the transportation of the items that are described in the bill of sale. ... Any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is a misdemeanor and shall be punished in the manner prescribed by law.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
20, adopted by Ordinance 213 in 1952, regulates anyone who purchases or transports scrap metal or junk anywhere in the county. 010 requires that person to register with the sheriff every year before conducting the activity and to carry a written certificate from the sheriff proving the registration is in effect at all times while engaged in the business. 020 spells out what the registration statement must contain: the registrant's name and address, the name and address of any company represented, the owner, make, model, engine number and license number of every vehicle used in the business, and the part of the county where most purchases are expected to take place.
030 requires a written bill of sale for every purchase or receipt of scrap metal or junk, listing the amount, kind and general description of the material, and the dealer must keep that bill of sale on hand at all times while transporting the goods it describes. 040 requires both the registration certificate and the bill of sale to be produced on demand to any law enforcement officer. 020 means a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in jail, or both.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.20.050 makes any Chapter 5.20 violation, whether failing to register, failing to carry the sheriff's certificate, or failing to obtain or produce a bill of sale, a misdemeanor punished in the manner prescribed by law. Under the county's general penalty at Section 1.24.020, that means a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to buy or haul scrap metal in Calaveras County?
What has to be in the registration application?
Do I need a bill of sale for every purchase?
What happens if I'm caught without my certificate or bill of sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
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