Jonesboro, AR Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

City Code § 42-20 requires anyone dealing in antique, used, or scrap jewelry and precious metal purchased for resale, whether in original form, remounted, melted, reformed, or sold as bulk scrap, to register with both the Jonesboro chief of police and the Craighead County sheriff before transacting business (§ 42-19 defines "precious metals dealer" to cover cash or trade purchases with or without a fixed place of business). Once registered, § 42-22 requires the dealer to keep a duplicate log recording a clear and accurate description of every item purchased, the price paid, and the seller's name, race, and address, with both buyer and seller signing below each entry.

A copy of that day's log must be delivered to the sheriff and police chief by noon the following day, and the book itself must stay unaltered and open to inspection by the sheriff, police chief, or any deputy or officer at any time. If merchandise brought in normally carries a serial number that has been removed, mutilated, defaced, destroyed, or melted down, § 42-23 requires the dealer to immediately report that fact to the chief of police or sheriff. Section 42-21 exempts state- or federally chartered financial institutions and licensed security firms, and it exempts coin purchases from the logging requirement except that the dealer must still verify the seller's identity through name, address, and driver's license and keep a description of the coins bought. § 14-54-103 for municipal regulation of pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, referenced in the article's footnote.