Inglewood, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Secondhand/pawn shop permit fee
- $100 (Category 3)
- Junk/salvage dealer permit fee
- $25 (Category 1)
- Issuing body
- Permits & Licenses Committee
- Decision deadline
- 45 days after complete application
- Appeal fee/window
- $15 within 10 days
- Suspension without hearing
- Up to 15 days
Summary
Inglewood requires a Committee-issued permit before anyone opens a pawn shop or secondhand goods business, at a $100 Category 3 fee, and a separate $25 Category 1 permit for junk and salvage dealers. Both run through the same Permits and Licenses Committee process and can be denied or pulled for cause.
§ 8-53. Permit Required. Committee on Permits and Licenses. Category of Fees. A written permit shall be obtained from the Committee on Permits and Licenses for the following businesses and activities and the application fee required in Section 8-36 shall be in the amount designated for the respective categories: ... § 8-53.3. Category 3—$100.00. ... (8) Pawn shop, secondhand dealer. ... § 8-53.1. Category 1—$25.00. ... (18) Junk and salvage dealer (includes perishable refuse and by-products).
Full Breakdown
The requirement sits in Municipal Code § 8-53, the Committee on Permits and Licenses' master fee schedule for Article 3 permits. 1(18) places "Junk and salvage dealer (includes perishable refuse and by-products)" in the cheaper Category 1, a $25 fee. Both licenses go through the same steps: an application filed with the Finance Director under § 8-31 stating the legal name, business address, and exact nature of the activity, a Committee hearing noticed under § 8-32, and a decision within forty-five days of a complete application per § 8-35.
Section 8-33 lets the Committee deny an application if the operator has an unresolved violation of City regulations, has made a false or misleading statement, is behind on City taxes or fees, or the location fails zoning or dispersal requirements. Once issued, a permit can be suspended without notice for up to fifteen days under § 8-46 for public-safety reasons, or revoked outright under § 8-47 for illegal or disorderly conduct, a false statement in the application, nonpayment of City fees, or using the permit for a purpose other than what it was issued for; a revoked permit cannot be reissued to the same person for twelve months.
A denied or revoked applicant can appeal to the Committee for a $15 fee within ten days under § 8-37, then to the City Council. 30 covers a "Junk Collector" who does the same work without a fixed location, going house to house or place to place.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pawn shop, secondhand dealer, junk dealer, or junk collector business without the Committee permit required by § 8-53 falls under the Article 3 permit-required rule in § 8-48, and conducting business without the associated business tax certificate triggers § 8-2's penalty of 20% of the tax due plus 10% for each month it stays unpaid, capped at 50%, collectible as a misdemeanor debt to the City. An existing permit can be suspended for up to fifteen days without a hearing under § 8-46, or revoked by the Committee or City Council under § 8-47 for illegal operation, a false application statement, nonpayment of City fees, or a zoning violation, with a 12-month bar on reapplying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open a secondhand or pawn shop in Inglewood?
How much does an Inglewood junk dealer permit cost?
Can the City deny my secondhand dealer permit application?
What's the difference between a junk dealer and a junk collector under Inglewood's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Inglewood
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