Lakewood, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required from
- Municipal Clerk
- Ad license-number requirement
- Min. 8-point type, lower-right corner
- Item photos
- Each item photographed individually
- Database entry deadline
- Same business day
- License fee
- $400 initial and annual renewal
- Bond required
- $10,000
Summary
Anyone buying secondhand goods, jewelry or precious metals for resale in Lakewood Township needs a Municipal Clerk license under Code § 4-9. Dealers must print their license number on every ad, in at least 8-point type, and photograph each seller and item.
No person, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or other entity shall engage in the business of buying, selling, or pawning of precious metals or other secondhand goods, as defined above, within the jurisdiction of the Township of Lakewood, without having first obtained a license therefor from the Municipal Clerk... Advertising in any print or electronic media or by sign that any of those articles or secondhand goods referred to in Subsection 4-9.2 above are being bought in any location within the municipality shall constitute engaging in business as a dealer of secondhand goods for purposes of this section... In any print advertisement, the license number shall appear in type no smaller than eight point in the lower-right-hand corner of the advertisement.
Full Breakdown
Township of Lakewood Code § 4-9.3 makes it unlawful to buy, sell or pawn precious metals or other secondhand goods in the Township without first obtaining a license from the Municipal Clerk. 'Secondhand goods' is defined broadly in § 4-9.2 to cover used electronics, tools, musical instruments, firearms, cameras, sporting goods, coins, gemstones, and similar items, while excluding judicial and estate sales, real estate auctions, and occasional private coin or stamp trades. Any advertisement offering to buy such goods counts as 'engaging in business as a dealer' and must display the dealer's license number, printed in type no smaller than eight points in the lower-right corner for print ads, or stated visually or audibly for electronic ads (§ 4-9.3).
Applicants undergo a Chief of Police background investigation within 30 days (§ 4-9.4), and for every transaction must record the buyer, seller's name and date of birth, a photograph of the seller and their ID, and an individual photograph of every item sold, entered into an approved electronic database by the end of the same business day (§ 4-9.5). Items must be held at least 10 business days before resale (§ 4-9.6a), and no dealer may buy from anyone under 18 (§ 4-9.6e). The license costs $400 to obtain and $400 annually to renew, and requires a $10,000 bond (§ 4-9.7, § 4-9.8).
Violations & Fines
Violating § 4-9's licensing, advertising or record-keeping requirements can bring a Municipal Court fine up to the N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 limit or up to 90 days of imprisonment or community service, on top of suspension or revocation of the dealer's license (§ 4-9.9, § 4-9.6f-g). Each violation is treated separately, and a repeat violation within one year adds a further fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do secondhand dealers in Lakewood have to photograph every item they buy?
Must a Lakewood secondhand dealer put their license number in ads?
Can a secondhand dealer in Lakewood buy from a minor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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