Greensboro, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 13-7
- Purchase log
- Nature, amount, date, seller name
- Daily report deadline
- Every business day, to police chief
- Covered item categories
- Auto parts, hardware, tools, plumbing, electrical
- Inspection authority
- Chief of police, any reasonable time
Summary
Every junk dealer in Greensboro must keep a permanent purchase log open to police inspection and file a daily report with the police chief on specified secondhand items, auto parts, hardware, tools, plumbing and electrical fixtures, under City Code § 13-7. The rule exists to help police trace stolen goods.
Sec. 13-7. - Junk dealers. (a) Every junk dealer shall keep a book in which he shall keep an accurate record showing the nature and amount of all junk purchased by him/her/them, the date of purchase and the name of the seller. Such book shall be subject, at all reasonable times, to inspection by the chief of police or by any other proper officer of the city. (b) Every junk dealer shall each day, (Sundays and holidays excepted) file with the chief of police a complete report showing each and every article purchased or otherwise acquired by him/her/them during the preceding day's business, such report to include the name, sex, color, and address of the person from whom such article was acquired, a description sufficient to identify each article, and the hour and date of receiving the same; provided, however, that such report shall be required only with respect to articles of the following nature: Automobile parts or accessories, hardware, tools, plumbing fixtures, supplies, materials or portions thereof, and electrical fixtures, appurtenances, wires or materials.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 132).
Full Breakdown
Section 13-7 imposes two ongoing duties on every junk dealer operating in Greensboro. First, under subsection (a), each dealer must keep a book recording the nature and amount of all junk purchased, the date of purchase, and the seller's name; that book must be available for inspection by the chief of police or any other proper city officer at all reasonable times. Second, under subsection (b), every dealer must file a complete daily report with the chief of police (Sundays and holidays excepted) covering every article purchased or otherwise acquired the preceding business day.
That report must include the seller's name, sex, color, and address, a description sufficient to identify each article, and the hour and date it was received, but the reporting duty is limited to specific categories: automobile parts or accessories, hardware, tools, plumbing fixtures, supplies, materials or portions of them, and electrical fixtures, appurtenances, wires, or materials. 2, meaning police can obtain a warrant to inspect these records if a dealer refuses voluntary access. § 14-4 absent a more specific penalty elsewhere in the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Section 13-7 sets no dealer-specific penalty, so a junk dealer who fails to keep the required purchase book or fails to file the daily report with the police chief is subject to Greensboro's default ordinance-violation rule: each day of noncompliance is a separate offense under § 1-6, and violating any provision of the Code without a more specific penalty is a Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. § 14-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What records must a Greensboro junk dealer keep?
Do junk dealers have to report purchases to police?
What's the penalty for a junk dealer who skips the daily report?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greensboro
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