Kenton County, KY Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 115 of the Kenton County Code of Ordinances regulates every 'used property business' in the county, defined in § 115.01 as any occupation that acquires physical possession of, or a possessory, security, or ownership interest in, used tangible personal property 'by barter, pawn, purchase, exchange or otherwise,' excluding used motor vehicles and consignment sales. Section 115.02 makes it unlawful to own or operate a used property business without a valid business regulatory license issued under the county's occupational license ordinances, and separately bars any purchase from a minor at any time or from an adult between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Section 115.03 lays out the paperwork every transaction requires: the dealer assigns a unique tracking number with the date and time of acquisition, collects the seller's name, address, phone number, date of birth, sex, race, a color photograph of the person, and a second photo ID, and obtains the seller's signature on an itemized, photographed description of each piece. That information must reach the Kenton County Police Department by 11:00 a.m. the day after the transaction, using a telecommunication method the department approves. Records must be kept at least one year and made available to any Kentucky law enforcement officer for inspection without a warrant at any reasonable time.

Every item must carry an identification tag bearing its tracking number and must be held unsold, separated by seller and by date received, for at least ten calendar days, except precious metals, which need only a 72-hour hold because their value moves daily. Dealers must also comply with the state pawn statutes at KRS 226.010 to 226.990, which control if they conflict with the chapter. Section 115.04 lets the County License Inspector or County Treasurer suspend or revoke the occupational license for any violation.