Janesville, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Janesville Code of General Ordinances Ch. 12, Art. X governs junk, secondhand and jewelry dealers. Section 12-269 bars anyone from doing business as a dealer in secondhand goods, a secondhand article dealer, a secondhand jewelry dealer, a secondhand article dealer mall or flea market, or a dealer in junk wares without first obtaining a City license. Section 12-270 defines a secondhand article dealer as anyone, other than an auctioneer, who buys or sells secondhand articles in the same or substantially similar form, and separately defines a secondhand jewelry dealer, each carrying carve-outs for garage sales, estate sales, and charitable-organization transactions.

Applicants must submit fingerprints, residence history for the prior five years, and a criminal-conviction disclosure to the City Clerk under Section 12-272(a), and the Police Department investigates every applicant before the City may grant a license under Section 12-272(b). Every reportable transaction requires a detailed receipt kept for three years and a matching transaction record under Sections 12-273(b) and 12-274. Once an item is purchased, Section 12-277(b) requires the dealer to hold it on the premises, separate from saleable inventory, for not less than 14 days, during which any law enforcement officer may inspect it under Section 12-277(c). Business premises must also be screened by a fence, wall or structure at least seven feet high under Section 12-278.