Frederick County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License basis
- Same rate as retailers
- Itinerant dealers
- No license issued
- State definition used
- Va. Code § 59.1-116.1
- Pawnbrokers
- Licensed separately under § 155-102
- Maximum penalty
- $2,500 fine or 12 months jail
Summary
Frederick County requires junk dealers with an established place of business to hold a business license under Code § 155-101, taxed the same as retailers under the county's gross-receipts schedule. No license is issued to an itinerant junk dealer, and pawnbrokers are licensed separately from junk dealers under § 155-102.
A. Junk dealers, as defined in § 59.1-116.1, Code of Virginia, shall be licensed based on their gross receipts and shall pay the same license tax or fees as retailers as set forth in this chapter if they have an established place of business in Frederick County. No business license shall be issued to any itinerant junk dealer. B. Pawnbrokers are included under separate listing of this article and are not classified as junk dealers.
Full Breakdown
1 of the Code of Virginia, the state's junk-dealer statute. 20 per $100 of gross receipts once annual receipts reach $100,000, or the flat $30/$50 tiers in § 155-96A below that threshold. The county will not issue a business license to an itinerant junk dealer at all, so buying and reselling scrap or secondhand goods without a fixed county location is not a licensable activity under this section, regardless of the tax a dealer is willing to pay. 1-4000 of the Code of Virginia rather than the junk-dealer definition.
1-4100 of the Code of Virginia and likewise barring an itinerant precious-metals license. A junk dealer therefore has to confirm which of these three adjoining categories, junk dealer, pawnbroker or precious-metals dealer, actually describes the business before applying, since each draws on a different state-law definition even though all three pay retailer-equivalent rates.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a junk dealer in Frederick County without the § 155-101 license is unlawful under § 155-110A, carrying a fine of up to $2,500, up to 12 months in jail, or both. Because the code bars issuing any license to an itinerant junk dealer, a dealer without a fixed county location cannot cure the violation by simply applying; § 155-110C also leaves the underlying license tax owed even if the county never issues a license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a junk/scrap business from home without a fixed shop?
Is a pawn shop taxed the same as a junk dealer?
What rate does a junk dealer pay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frederick County
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