Gastonia, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 8-236
- Holding period
- 10 days, open to police inspection
- Minor sales
- Prohibited outright
- State law incorporated
- G.S. 66-10
- Consequence of conviction
- License revocation under § 8-43
Summary
Gastonia junk dealers must follow state junk-dealer law under G.S. 66-10, hold every purchased item for ten days open to police inspection, and never buy junk from a minor. A conviction can cost the dealer's license.
Every person engaged in the business of a junk dealer as defined in G.S. 66-10 shall comply strictly with the provisions stated therein as well as the provisions of this section. Every article purchased by a junk dealer shall remain at the place of business of the junk dealer for a period of ten days after purchase and shall remain open to inspection by any city police officer during that time. No junk dealer may purchase articles of junk from any minor. Any licensee convicted of a violation of the provisions of G.S. 66-10 or the provisions of this section may have his license revoked pursuant to section 8-43 of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 8-236 layers city rules onto the state junk dealer statute. S. 66-10, to comply strictly with that statute as well as this local section. Subsection (b) imposes the city's own holding period: every article purchased by a junk dealer must remain at the dealer's place of business for ten days after purchase, and it must stay open to inspection by any city police officer during that entire window, which lets Gastonia police check incoming secondhand goods against stolen-property reports before they can be resold or melted down.
Subsection (c) flatly bars a junk dealer from purchasing articles of junk from any minor, with no exception carved out in the text. S. 66-10 or this city section can have the license revoked under Sec. 8-43 of the licensing chapter. This section traces back to the 1982 Code and sits in Division 3 of Article II, Chapter 8, the city's general business regulation and licensing article, distinct from pawnbroker or precious-metals rules that may appear elsewhere in state law.
Violations & Fines
A junk dealer who violates the ten-day holding/inspection rule, buys from a minor, or violates G.S. 66-10 risks license revocation under Sec. 8-236(d) via the procedure in Sec. 8-43. As a licensing offense under Article II, Division 9's penalty provisions apply a civil penalty of $50.00 for violations not otherwise specified, recoverable as a civil debt if unpaid within ten days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Gastonia junk dealer hold purchased items?
Can a Gastonia junk dealer buy from a minor?
What happens if a Gastonia junk dealer is convicted of violating this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gastonia
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