Durham, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Purchase record
- Logged with seller ID and item description
- Police report deadline
- 10:00 a.m. next business day
- Holding period
- 5 days before resale or disposal
- Junk dealer permit
- 5 resident vouchers + police chief approval
- Rummage/secondhand clothing sales
- Barred from streets and sidewalks
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor
Summary
Durham requires anyone buying or dealing in secondhand goods, junk, or pawned items to log every transaction in a purchase book with the seller's name and a description of the item, report that list to the police department by 10:00 a.m. the next business day, and hold each item for at least five days before reselling it, under City Code §§ 54-243 and 54-244.
Sec. 54-243. Persons engaged in the business of buying or dealing secondhand goods, wares and merchandise, including junk dealers and pawnbrokers, shall record in a book kept for that purpose each article purchased or pawned and the name, race, residence and occupation of the seller or pawner. ... Every article so purchased or pawned shall remain at such place of business of such dealer open to inspection for at least five days before being moved or otherwise disposed of. In addition to any other remedy available in the Code, violation of this section is a misdemeanor. Sec. 54-244. Every person engaged in the business of buying or dealing in secondhand goods, wares, and merchandise, including junk dealers and pawnbrokers, shall, on every business day before 10:00 a.m., report to the police department, a list and description of all secondhand goods, wares, merchandise and all items of personal property received, acquired or loaned on during the preceding day...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Section 54-243 requires secondhand dealers, junk dealers, and pawnbrokers to record each article purchased or pawned in a dedicated book, including the seller's name, residence, and occupation and a full description with distinguishing marks, and to keep each item at the place of business, open to inspection, for at least five days before it is moved or disposed of. " Section 54-246 separately requires anyone dealing in junk, defined by Section 54-241 to include worn metal, auto parts, wire, bottles, rags, and used tires, to apply in writing to the chief of police, vouched for by five city residents, with the application endorsed by the board of health confirming the premises complies with health regulations.
Section 54-242 requires corporations in these businesses to keep a current sworn officer list with the collector of revenue, on pain of license revocation. Section 54-245 separately requires a board of health permit for selling secondhand clothing or holding rummage sales, and bars displaying or selling such goods on any city street or sidewalk.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep the required purchase record, failing to file the daily police report, dealing in junk without the chief of police's permit, or displaying secondhand clothing for sale on a public street or sidewalk is a misdemeanor under Sections 54-243 through 54-246. A corporation that lets its officer disclosure lapse risks revocation of its dealer license under Section 54-242.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Durham pawnbroker or secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling it?
Do Durham secondhand dealers have to report to police every day?
Can I sell used clothing at a sidewalk rummage sale in Durham?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
Compare Durham to another location·View the North Carolina business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.