Flint, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Michigan's regulatory framework for secondhand dealers runs on two parallel tracks anchored in the same MCL 446 series. (1) The Precious Metal and Gem Dealer Act, Public Act 95 of 1981 (MCL 446.201 et seq.), regulates dealers who buy gold, silver, platinum, and gems for resale. Dealers must register with the local law-enforcement agency of jurisdiction - in Flint, the Flint Police Department - keep detailed transaction records (seller ID, item description, photographs, purchase price), hold each purchased item at the registered premises for a minimum statutory hold period before resale or melt, and submit periodic reports to police. The seller must produce a government-issued photo ID and sign a statement of ownership. (2) Pawnbrokers in Michigan operate under the Pawnbrokers Act (Public Act 273 of 1917, as amended, codified within the MCL 446 series). Pawnbrokers must post a surety bond, charge interest within statutory limits, keep detailed loan records, provide a statutory redemption period, and file transaction reports with the Flint Police. Locally, Flint does not have a stand-alone municipal pawnshop ordinance beyond its general business-licensing requirement, but every secondhand or precious-metal dealer must hold a Flint business license issued by the City Clerk and must comply with the Flint Zoning Ordinance for permitted-use status. Flint Police use the LeadsOnline web service for stolen-goods detection. Used-goods stores in Flint must also satisfy zoning conditions - certain auto-parts or industrial used-goods uses are conditional in the Flint Zoning Ordinance.