Lafayette, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Lafayette Municipal Code § 9.01.050
- Covered goods
- Wearing apparel, household furniture
- Sale requirement
- Disinfection before sale
- Rummage sale permit issuer
- City Controller
- Related license
- Pawnbroker, Ch. 4.08, $50/year
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000, § 9.01.990
- Code origin
- 1971 Code § 14-11
Summary
Lafayette requires anyone selling secondhand wearing apparel or household furniture to disinfect the goods first, and requires a City Controller permit before holding a rummage sale. Municipal Code Section 9.01.050 sets this health-driven disinfection and permitting rule for used-goods sales in the city.
A.For the purpose of this section, "secondhand goods" means all wearing apparel and household furniture of every kind and description.B.Any person engaged in the buying and selling of secondhand goods in the city shall, before the sale of any such goods, cause the same to be thoroughly disinfected. Any person intending to have a sale of secondhand goods by what is commonly known as a rummage sale shall, before selling any goods at such sale, take out a permit therefor to be issued by the City Controller. Such person shall pay all necessary expenses for the issuing of the permit. The permit shall state the place where and the time during which the sale is to be held and the names of the persons or association managing or conducting the sale.
Full Breakdown
Section 9.01.050 defines secondhand goods as wearing apparel and household furniture of every kind and description. Anyone engaged in buying and selling secondhand goods in the city must disinfect the goods before sale. Anyone intending to hold a sale of secondhand goods commonly known as a rummage sale must first take out a permit from the City Controller, paying all necessary issuance expenses; the permit must state the place and time of the sale and the names of the persons or association managing it. This provision sits in Chapter 9.01, General Provisions of Title 9 Health and Sanitation, rather than in a dedicated business-licensing chapter, and traces back to Section 14-11 of the 1971 Code.
It is distinct from Chapter 4.08's Pawnbroker license, which separately requires anyone lending money against pledged personal property to obtain a $50 annual license from the City Controller, keep a detailed pledge ledger, report daily to the Chief of Police, and hold pledged goods 24 hours before sale or redemption; Chapter 4.08's cross-reference points back to Section 9.01.050 for the disinfection and permit rule on outright secondhand sales. Violations of Chapter 9.01, including a failure to disinfect goods or obtain a rummage sale permit, are subject to the chapter's general penalty at Section 9.01.990.
Violations & Fines
Selling secondhand wearing apparel or household furniture without first disinfecting it, or holding a rummage sale of secondhand goods without a City Controller permit, violates Section 9.01.050. Violations of this chapter carry the general penalty in Section 9.01.990, a fine of up to $1,000, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell used furniture in Lafayette?
Is a pawnbroker license the same as a secondhand goods permit?
Who issues the rummage sale permit in Lafayette?
What is the penalty for skipping the secondhand goods disinfection rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette
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