Fitchburg, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

City Code Chapter 66, Article II, Sec. 66-21 bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker, secondhand article or secondhand jewelry dealer in Fitchburg without first obtaining a license, and Sec. 66-22 requires the license be displayed in a conspicuous place visible to anyone entering the shop. Applications go to the city clerk for the public safety and human services committee to decide, with copies routed to the police and planning departments within five business days; licenses are non-transferable. Chapter 66 adopts Wis. 71 by reference and layers city-specific operating rules on top of it.

Sec. 66-51 requires dealers to obtain a current Wisconsin driver's license, Wisconsin ID card, or an equivalent out-of-state photo ID from every customer before any purchase, receipt or exchange of a secondhand article, and Sec. 66-52 bars transactions with anyone under 18 unless a parent or guardian is present and signs the transaction form. Sec. 66-53 requires dealers to log a detailed description of every item, the price paid, the seller's full identifying information and a unique transaction identifier, all reported daily to the police department's electronic reporting system under Sec.

66-58, with a sign posted telling patrons that transactions are reported. Sec. 66-55 sets a 30-day holding period for secondhand articles generally (21 days for secondhand jewelry, gold or silver coins) before an item may be sold, during which it must be kept separate from saleable inventory and available for police inspection, with off-premises items produced within 24 hours of a police request.