Framingham, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Under § 299-1, the City Council licenses dealers who buy, sell, or barter junk, old metals, or secondhand articles, and separately licenses junk collectors who gather these items door to door across the City. Collectors must display a Council-approved badge on their person or vehicle while working. All licenses are revocable at the Council's pleasure and remain subject to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140, §§ 202 to 205. Section 299-2 sets the day-to-day operating rules: every shopkeeper must keep a book recording a detailed description of each item purchased plus the seller's name, age, and residence, and the day and hour of the purchase; that book stays open at all times to inspection by the Board of License Commissioners or its designated agent.

Shops must post the owner's name and occupation in large letters in a conspicuous place, and the Council or its agent may examine the shop and its merchandise at any time. No shopkeeper or collector may knowingly buy or barter goods from a minor or apprentice, and any item purchased must sit unsold for at least 30 days from the date of purchase or receipt. When the Council orders it, shops must close between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and no purchases may occur during those hours.

Section 299-3, added by Ord. No. 2024-025, sets the enforcement teeth: anyone who acts as a collector, dealer, or shopkeeper without a license, operates outside the terms of the license, continues after revocation, or otherwise violates the chapter is subject to a $20 fine.