Alameda County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License issued by
- Alameda County Sheriff
- Goods hold period
- 5 days before resale
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Covers
- Cash-for-gold businesses too
Summary
Junk dealers and secondhand dealers, including cash-for-gold shops, operating in unincorporated Alameda County must hold a sheriff-issued license before doing business; operating without one violates county code and can be prosecuted.
It shall be unlawful to conduct, manage, or carry on a business as a secondhand dealer or a junk dealer without a license, as required by this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Alameda County Code Chapter 3.48 requires anyone conducting a secondhand-goods or junk business in the unincorporated county, including cash-for-gold operations buying gold, silver, or precious metals, to hold a sheriff's license for each location. Applicants pay a board-set fee, submit to fingerprinting, and can be denied for a prior felony, theft, false-pretenses, or embezzlement conviction. Licensed dealers must hold all purchased goods for five days before reselling, exchanging, or moving them off-site so items can be traced, though the true owner may reclaim goods sooner. Oakland, Berkeley, and the county's incorporated cities license secondhand dealers under their own separate codes.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a secondhand or junk dealer without a sheriff-issued license is unlawful county-wide; selling or disposing of goods before the five-day hold period is a separate misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Oakland or Berkeley?
How long must a dealer hold purchased items before reselling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda County
California rules heatmap·Compare Alameda County to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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