Lauderhill, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 12, Article III of the City Code, Sections 12-61 through 12-64, governs precious metal dealers, defined as merchants who purchase gold, silver or platinum from the general public. Section 12-62 requires every such merchant to keep a written record of all purchases from the general public from the article's effective date forward, and requires the merchant to obtain identification from the seller to properly ascertain the seller's correct name and home address as a condition of the purchase. Section 12-63 requires that record to be kept on the business premises for one year after the purchase and made available to any law enforcement agency or officer on request, and it must include the date of purchase, a description of the items, the seller's name, address and signature, the price paid for each item, the seller's driver's license number if available, and a description of the identification source used.

Section 12-64 makes a violation of the article a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment of up to 60 days, or both, at the court's discretion. The article predates and functions alongside the separate pawnbroker licensing article in the same chapter, and its recordkeeping duty applies specifically to merchants dealing in precious metals rather than general secondhand goods.