Lexington, KY Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $250.00/year (Sec. 13-13(17))
- Holding period
- 10 business days before resale
- Minimum seller age
- 18 years old
- ID required
- Valid operator's license + thumbprint
- Police records
- Daily register copy required
- Max penalty
- $100 fine or 30 days jail, or both
Summary
Secondhand, junk and used auto parts dealers in Lexington-Fayette must register every seller, hold purchased goods ten business days, and report daily to police. The $250 annual junk dealer license backs a strict no-buying-from-minors rule that ties into the same tracking system pawnbrokers use.
Every person, including a pawnbroker as defined in section 13-52, conducting business where junk, used auto parts or secondhand goods, wares or merchandise, materials or electronic devises including video games, CD's, or DVD's are purchased, for money or store credit, from an individual in the urban county shall comply with all provisions of this section... No purchases or trades shall be made from any person under the age of eighteen (18). The buyer shall require each person presenting merchandise to provide a thumbprint... Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall for each offense be fined not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or confined in the county detention facility not more than thirty (30) days, or both so fined and imprisoned.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 13-54 covers every person, including a pawnbroker under Sec. 13-52, who buys junk, used auto parts, secondhand goods or electronic devices including video games, CDs or DVDs from an individual, for money or store credit, in the urban county. The dealer must keep a register at its principal place of business recording the seller's name, address and a visible description, plus the date and a full description of the item, in plain handwriting or on computer disk. Sellers must identify themselves with a valid operator's license or similar ID showing name, address and date of birth, and every purchased item must be tagged to match its register page and line.
No purchases or trades may be made from anyone under eighteen, and the buyer must take a thumbprint from every seller, kept with the transaction records. A copy of the register or computer disk must go to the Division of Police daily, and police may examine any item on the premises for up to ten business days before the dealer may sell it. Sec. 00 per year.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 13-54 makes any violation, skipping the register, buying from someone under 18, failing the thumbprint requirement, ignoring the ten-day hold, or not turning the register over to police daily, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $5.00 nor more than $100.00, or confinement in the county detention facility for up to thirty days, or both, for each offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Lexington secondhand shop buy from a 16-year-old?
How long must a Lexington junk dealer hold purchased goods?
What does a Lexington-Fayette junk dealer license cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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