Jackson, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 338 of the Code of the Township of Jackson, Pawnbrokers and Dealers in Secondhand Goods, was adopted by the Jackson Township Council in 2011 and rewritten in its entirety on December 12, 2023. Section 338-2 bars operating as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealership in Jackson Township, New Jersey without a license issued by the Jackson Township Police, and the chapter defines secondhand dealer broadly to cover any business that buys, sells or trades jewelry, coins, precious metals or any goods previously owned by a consumer, including businesses commonly known as pawnbrokers, trading posts, swap shops, stamp or coin dealers and auction houses.

Garage sales, sales by charitable or religious organizations, state-licensed automobile and parts dealers, and antique dealers who derive 75% of their sales from antiques are exempt under § 338-2A. An applicant must disclose ownership details, any criminal convictions and any prior license revocation to the Township Clerk, and under § 338-2C the license itself costs $200 in addition to the standard business license fee, renewed annually through an application to the Township Clerk that goes to the Township Council for approval, with a $10 annual renewal fee.

Licenses must be posted conspicuously at the business and cannot be transferred to another person under § 338-2H. The Mayor and Council can revoke or suspend a license for up to 30 days after a hearing if the licensee violates the chapter, state law or Township ordinances, or is convicted of theft, burglary or receiving stolen property within the past 10 years. Section 338-4 adds specific rules for secondhand watches, requiring a secondhand tag and a special invoice, and sets the chapter's penalty at a $100 to $1,000 fine or up to 90 days imprisonment, with a mandatory 10-day license suspension added for every violation and possible revocation of the mercantile license on a third offense.