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San Bernardino County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified May 2026

Key Facts

Hold period
30 days
Reporting
DOJ CAPSS daily
Licensing agency
SBC Sheriff
State law
B and P 21625

Summary

Secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers in unincorporated San Bernardino County must register with the Sheriff and report transactions through the California Department of Justice CAPSS reporting system under state law.

City-specific rules exist: Ontario, Hesperia, Fontana, San Bernardino, and Rialto have their own secondhand dealers rules that differ from San Bernardino County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

21625. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to curtail the dissemination of stolen property and to facilitate the recovery of stolen property by means of a uniform, statewide, state-administered program of regulation of persons whose principal business is the buying, selling, trading, auctioning, or taking in pawn of tangible personal property and to aid the State Board of Equalization to detect possible sales tax evasion. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to require the uniform statewide reporting of tangible personal property acquired by persons whose principal business is the buying, selling, trading, auctioning, or taking in pawn of tangible personal property, unless the property or the transaction is specifically exempt herein, for the purpose of correlating these reports with other reports of city, county, and city and county law enforcement agencies and further utilizing the services of the Department of Justice to aid in tracing and recovering stolen property. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature that this article shall not be superseded or supplanted by the provisions of any ordinance or charter of any city, county, or city and county.

Source: California Business and Professions CodeView official code

Full Breakdown

California Business and Professions Code section 21625 and following requires secondhand dealers to obtain a license, fingerprint employees, and report all tangible personal property transactions daily through the Department of Justice Computerized Automated Pawn-Property Submission system. The San Bernardino County Sheriff is the local licensing authority for unincorporated areas. Dealers must hold property for 30 days before resale, allowing law enforcement to recover stolen goods and clear pawned merchandise from theft databases.

Violations & Fines

Failing to license, fingerprint employees, hold goods for 30 days, or report through CAPSS can trigger misdemeanor charges and license revocation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 30-day hold apply to pawned items as well?
Yes. Both purchased and pledged secondhand goods must be held intact for 30 days under California Business and Professions Code section 21636 so law enforcement can check stolen property databases.
Are coin and bullion dealers exempt from the rules?
Limited exemptions exist for certain coin transactions, but most dealers must still license, fingerprint employees, and report transactions through the CAPSS system maintained by the California DOJ.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in San Bernardino County

All San Bernardino County rules

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Secondhand Dealers in Cities Across San Bernardino County