Lawton, OK Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Lawton City Code Article 7-21 defines a 'secondhand dealer' as anyone who buys secondhand personal articles for resale, and Sec. 7-21-1-2101 requires every such dealer, including sellers of secondhand clothing, furniture, appliances or junk, to hold an annual city license at the fee set in the schedule. A dealer whose license was revoked cannot be relicensed for one year, and anyone convicted of a felony can never receive the license. Before the city issues it, Sec. 7-21-1-2102 requires the applicant to post a surety bond, in the amount set in the bond schedule, guaranteeing compliance with city ordinances and covering damages from stolen or improperly pledged property.

Sec. 7-21-1-2103 requires every licensee to keep an ink register recording, for each purchase, the model and serial numbers of the goods, the price paid, the date and time, and the seller's name, address, age, sex, height, weight, color and driver's license or military ID number; the register cannot be altered or erased and must be open to any Lawton police officer. Sec. 7-21-1-2104 extends inspection rights to the city attorney, the district attorney, and the provost marshal at Fort Sill. Secs. 7-21-1-2105 and 7-21-1-2106 bar a licensee from buying from an intoxicated person, a known drug user, a known felon, or from anyone under 18 without a parent's written consent.