Hialeah, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $100.00 annually
- Citywide quota
- 1 per 4,500 residents
- Holding period
- 30 days before disposition
- Distance separation
- 2,500 feet from other dealers
- Background check
- Required, applicant-paid
- Records retention
- 1 year, in-store binder
Summary
Hialeah caps secondhand goods dealer licenses at one per 4,500 residents citywide, requires a $100 annual license with a police background check, and mandates 30-day holds and detailed transaction records for every item bought or pawned.
Secondhand dealer means any person engaged in the business of buying, selling, bartering, exchanging in any manner at retail or wholesale or otherwise dealing for profit in secondhand goods as defined in this section, whether or not at a fixed place of business. Such term includes pawnbrokers and all dealers who buy, trade, sell, or who make loans of money upon the deposit or pledge of any secondhand goods. ... The number of licenses issued for secondhand goods dealers ... shall be limited to a number of establishments based on a ratio of one secondhand goods dealer for every four thousand five hundred (1:4,500) inhabitants of the city.
Full Breakdown
Hialeah Code of Ordinances Sec. " Covered secondhand goods range from audio/video electronics and cameras to machinery, tools, calculators, boat engines and outdrives, tires, musical instruments, computers and appliances. Registered charities, licensed garage sales, licensed antique multi-dealer shows, and dealers of titled vehicles/boats are exempt. Sec. 00 annual fee separate from the business tax receipt, and Sec. 18-462 requires a police background investigation paid by the applicant. Sec. 18-463 bars a license, for ten years, to anyone convicted of theft, larceny, fraud, receiving stolen property or burglary, unless civil rights are restored, and the same bar applies to employees.
Sec. 18-433 requires secondhand goods to be held 30 days before disposition unless the true owner redeems the item sooner, longer than the 15-day hold for precious metal dealers. Sec. S. Census, with additional slots awarded by a public lottery drawing run by the business tax administrator under Sec. 18-466(b)-(c); winners must complete their business tax application within 60 days. Zoning separately confines secondhand dealers and pawnshops to locations at least 2,500 feet from any other secondhand dealer or pawnshop, per Sec. 98-1111(21), with no distance variances granted for locations established after March 1, 2010.
Violations & Fines
Recordkeeping lapses draw warnings only for the first three offenses under Sec. 18-432(f). Buying from an intoxicated person or unaccompanied minor, refusing a police inspection, operating without a valid license, pawning between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., acquiring an unregistered vehicle or vessel, acquiring firearms without meeting federal/state licensing, or using a drive-through window are unlawful acts under Sec. 18-435, and a conviction can lead the city council to revoke or condition the license under Sec. 18-465 after a public hearing with 14 days' written notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many secondhand dealer licenses does Hialeah allow?
How long must a Hialeah secondhand dealer hold purchased items?
Does the secondhand dealer license cover pawnbrokers?
How close together can pawn and secondhand shops locate in Hialeah?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hialeah
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hialeah to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle secondhand dealers.