Lincoln County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Upload deadline (metals)
- 3 business days of purchase
- Dealer penalty
- Class 2 misdemeanor + 3-yr ban
- Recycler first offense
- Class 1 misdemeanor
- Recycler repeat offense
- Class 1 felony
- Permit revocation trigger
- 3 violations in 10 years
- Enforcing agency
- Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Summary
Cash converters, dealers and secondary metals recyclers operating in unincorporated Lincoln County must keep the transaction records state law requires in electronic form and report them straight to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
§ 113.24 DEALERS. ... (A) Dealers shall keep the records required by G.S. § 66-410 in an electronic format and shall file such records electronically in a manner authorized by the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. (B) Penalties. Every person, firm, or corporation, their guests or employees, who shall knowingly violate any of the provisions of this part, shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor pursuant to G.S. § 66-413. In addition, any dealer so convicted shall be ineligible for a dealer's permit for a period of three years from the date of conviction pursuant to G.S. § 66-413. ... § 113.25 SECONDARY METALS RECYCLERS. (A) Secondary metals recyclers shall keep the receipts and the records required by G.S. §§ 66-421 and 66-422 in an electronic format, and shall transfer such receipts and records electronically directly to the County Sheriff's Office
Full Breakdown
Chapter 113's Electronic Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements subchapter, adopted 4-21-2014 and amended 3-21-2022, applies to cash converters, dealers and secondary metals recyclers doing business in the county. § 66-410 in electronic format and file them electronically in a manner the Sheriff's Office authorizes. § 66-392 records electronically and reporting them to the Sheriff's Office. §§ 66-421 and 66-422 must be transferred electronically directly to the Sheriff's Office, using the online database system the Sheriff's Office designates, and every purchase receipt must be uploaded within three business days with full identifying information on both the seller and the metal purchased.
If the Sheriff's Office switches database systems, it must notify recyclers and allow a reasonable transition period. A fixed site whose owner or employees rack up three or more violations within ten years loses its permit for six months, and trying to dodge that by permitting through a family member extends the revocation another 18 months.
Violations & Fines
A dealer who knowingly violates the recordkeeping duty is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor under G.S. § 66-413 and becomes ineligible for a dealer's permit for three years from conviction, with each violation a separate offense. A secondary metals recycler's first knowing and willful violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor; a second or later violation is a Class 1 felony under G.S. § 66-429, and the Sheriff can revoke a fixed site's permit for six months after three violations in ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do secondhand dealers in Lincoln County need to report to the Sheriff electronically?
How fast must a scrap metal recycler upload purchase records in Lincoln County?
What happens after repeated violations at a Lincoln County recycling site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lincoln County
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