Fort Lauderdale, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $250 (Sec. 15-223)
- License year
- October 1 to September 30
- Records retention
- 1 year, filed with police in 48 hrs
- ID required
- 2 forms of ID plus thumbprint
- Prohibited hours
- No transactions midnight-6 a.m.
- Felony lookback
- 10 years blocks or revokes license
Summary
Fort Lauderdale requires anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand goods, such as jewelry, electronics, tools or musical instruments, to hold a $250 annual city license under chapter 15, article VI. Licensees must keep detailed, ink-written transaction records with a photo ID, a second ID and the seller's thumbprint, and mail copies to the police chief within 48 hours.
Sec. 15-221. Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a secondhand dealer in the city without first obtaining a license to do so from the city. ... Sec. 15-223. Fees. The fee for a license required by the provisions of this division shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). ... Sec. 15-206: It shall be unlawful for a secondhand dealer or any of his employees to do or allow any of the following acts:(1)Knowingly purchase or otherwise acquire any article covered by this article from:a.Any person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, when such condition is visible or apparent to the secondhand dealer or any of his employees;b.Any person under the age of eighteen (18) years;c.Any person using a name other than his own.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 15-201 defines a secondhand dealer as anyone dealing for profit in used gold, silver, jewelry, gems, audio/video electronics, cameras, tools, musical instruments, typewriters, firearms or fishing gear, and the definition expressly folds in pawnbrokers; it exempts nonprofits, garage sales, antique shows, used-vehicle dealers and licensed auctions. Sec. 15-221 makes it unlawful to run this business without first getting a license from the city, and Sec. 15-223 sets the license fee at $250, running annually from October 1 through September 30 (Sec. 15-224). Sec. 15-202 requires every dealer to log each transaction in ink with the item's serial number, brand and model, plus the seller's legal name, signature, thumbprint, address and physical description, backed by two forms of identification, one a government photo ID; that record must reach the police chief's office within 48 hours and be kept on file for a year (Sec.
15-203). Sec. m. Sec. 15-227 blocks a license for any applicant, officer, partner or director convicted of theft, burglary, fraud, receiving or dealing in stolen property, or a Sec. 015 offense within the past ten years, and the same bar applies to hiring such a person as an employee.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a secondhand dealer without the city license is unlawful under Sec. 15-221. Buying from an intoxicated seller, a minor, someone using a false name, or transacting between midnight and 6:00 a.m. all violate Sec. 15-206. A conviction for theft, burglary, fraud or dealing in stolen property lets the city commission revoke the license after a hearing under Sec. 15-228, considering the number and severity of prior violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a secondhand good under this ordinance?
What records does a secondhand dealer have to keep on every purchase?
Can a felony conviction cost a dealer their license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
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