Las Cruces, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Hold before resale
- 15 days from receipt
- Daily reporting
- LeadsOnline, to police within 3 days
- Excluded businesses
- Antique, junk, gun, consignment dealers
- Minimum seller age
- 18, not intoxicated
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances Article VI
Summary
Secondhand dealers in Las Cruces must report every item bought or traded to police through LeadsOnline and hold merchandise 15 days before reselling it, under the same Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers Ordinance that regulates pawnshops. Garage sales, antique dealers and nonprofit thrift shops are excluded from the licensing requirement.
Secondhand dealer shall mean a person engaged in the business of purchasing, trading, bartering or exchanging secondhand goods. ... Secondhand goods shall include, but are not limited to the following items: (1)Jewelry of any kind and of any metal;(2)Gold, silver and/or other precious metals in whatever form except coins or bullion;(3)Any precious stone;(4)Consumer electronics intended for everyday use... ... Secondhand goods shall not be sold or disposed of by a secondhand dealer within 15 days from the date said item was received by the license holder.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Land Development Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-328 of the Municipal Code defines a secondhand dealer as 'a person engaged in the business of purchasing, trading, bartering or exchanging secondhand goods,' with secondhand goods covering jewelry, precious metals and stones, consumer electronics such as computers, phones and cameras, and hand or power tools. Like pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers must obtain a license under Article IV's business licensing framework per Sec. 16-329, and Sec. 16-332 requires a daily report of every item received, including its description, serial number, the date and type of transaction, and the identification of the person offering it, filed through LeadsOnline and made available to the Las Cruces Police Department within three days.
Sec. 16-334(b) sets a 15-day holding period, barring a secondhand dealer from selling or disposing of an item for 15 days from the date it was received. Sec. 16-337 excludes several categories from the ordinance entirely: junk dealers handling scrap metal, glass, paper and worn-out vehicles; used motor vehicle dealers; antique dealers in items more than 50 years old; coin and bullion dealers for their coin and bullion business; individuals selling at neighborhood garage sales who are not in the resale business; nonprofit or charitable thrift shops; licensed gun dealers for firearms; and consignment stores. Sec. 16-336 and Sec. 16-338 bar purchases from minors or intoxicated persons and items with defaced serial numbers, the same as for pawnbrokers.
Violations & Fines
Failing to file the daily LeadsOnline report, or filing persistently inaccurate reports, is a violation under Sec. 16-332(d). Reselling secondhand goods before the 15-day hold in Sec. 16-334(b) expires, buying from a minor or intoxicated person, or accepting goods with a defaced serial number each violate Article VI, and can result in license revocation under the Article IV procedure in Sec. 16-97, including a 30-day written notice and a right to appeal to the city council before revocation becomes final.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Las Cruces secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling?
Are garage sales or antique shops regulated as secondhand dealers in Las Cruces?
What must a secondhand dealer report to police in Las Cruces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Las Cruces
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