El Monte, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Holding period
- 30 days from report date
- Reporting
- Daily or next business day to police
- Record retention
- 3 years, open to police inspection
- Exempt sellers
- Cash-only used car dealers, junk dealers, nonprofits
- Default penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
El Monte secondhand dealers must hold every reported item of secondhand property for thirty days before resale, under Municipal Code Section 5.68.140. Dealers also need a city permit, must report acquisitions to the Chief of Police daily or the next business day, and several categories of sellers, including cash-only used car dealers, are exempt.
Every secondhand dealer shall retain in his or her possession for a period of thirty (30) days all tangible personal property reported under the provisions of Sections 5.68.080 and 5.68.090. The thirty (30) day holding period with respect to such tangible personal property shall commence with the date the report of its acquisition was made to the Chief of Police by the secondhand dealer. The Chief of Police may for good cause, as specified by the Department of Justice, authorize prior disposition of any such property described in a specific report, provided that a secondhand dealer who disposes of tangible personal property pursuant to such authorization shall report the sale thereof to the Chief of Police.
Full Breakdown
010 defines a "secondhand dealer" as any person or company whose principal business is buying, selling, trading, pawning, consigning, or auctioning secondhand tangible personal property, or who does so for more than twenty percent of gross sales and purchases. 360 license fee. 030. 080 requires a report to the Chief of Police daily, or on the next working day after purchase, listing the seller's name and address, a description of the property with serial numbers, and a seller certification of accuracy, retained for three years.
090. 140, requires every secondhand dealer to keep all reported property for thirty days from the report date before disposing of it, unless the Chief of Police authorizes earlier disposition for good cause specified by the Department of Justice, in which case the dealer must still report the sale.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.68.130 makes it a violation for a secondhand dealer or employee to fail to file required reports, keep required records, or exhibit records to a police officer on demand, and disposing of reported property before the thirty-day hold in Section 5.68.140 expires without Chief of Police authorization violates that section directly. Chapter 5.68 sets no separate fine, so the citywide misdemeanor penalty in EMMC Section 1.24.010(A) applies: up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a secondhand dealer hold merchandise before reselling it in El Monte?
Are used car dealers regulated as secondhand dealers?
What must a secondhand dealer report to police?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Monte
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