Howard County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt
- Antique dealers, flea markets, charities, video-game retailers
- License scheme
- Same 2-year establishment and employee license as pawnbrokers
- Records retained
- At least 3 years
- Reporting deadline
- To police by 10 a.m. next business day
- Holding period before resale
- 10 days
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $900 fine, 5 months jail
Summary
Secondhand dealers in Howard County, businesses that take in used goods and resell them to the public, need the same two-year establishment and employee licenses as pawnbrokers from the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits. Antique dealers, flea markets, charities, and new video-game retailers are carved out, but everyone else must fingerprint employees, keep detailed records, and report every purchase to police.
(i)(1)Secondhand dealer means a person that engages in secondhand dealer transactions.(2)Secondhand dealer does not include:(i)A charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization, if the exchange of items for consideration is incidental to the organization's primary activity;(ii)An antique show, trade show, convention, or auction;(iii)A flea market as defined in the Howard County Zoning Regulations;(iv)A person whose primary retail trade is new and unused video game components, video game systems, video games, or video game accessories; or(v)An antique dealer.(j)Secondhand dealer transaction means engaging in the act of receiving tangible personal property, other than secondhand precious metal objects, coins, or numismatic items, and offering the tangible personal property to the public for sale, trade, barter, or other consideration.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 1001(j) defines a secondhand dealer transaction as receiving tangible personal property and offering it to the public for sale, trade, barter, or other consideration. Sec. 1001(i)(2) excludes charitable, religious, or nonprofit organizations where the exchange is incidental to their primary activity, antique shows, trade shows, conventions and auctions, flea markets as defined in the Zoning Regulations, retailers whose primary trade is new and unused video game items, and antique dealers, who are defined and regulated separately. Everyone else needs the same establishment and employee licenses required of pawnbrokers under Sec.
1002, running two years and non-transferable (Sec. 1004), with notarized applications, fingerprints taken by the Howard County Police Department, and background checks (Sec. 1008). with no drive-up windows (Sec. 1010), and cannot transact with anyone under 18 (Sec. 1011). the next business day (Sec. 1012). Items must be held ten days, or until police inspection, before resale (Sec. 1013), and dealers must allow inspection and right of entry to enforce the subtitle (Sec. 1015).
Violations & Fines
A first violation of most provisions is a Class B civil offense, escalating to Class A for repeat violations, while violating the inspection/right-of-entry section is Class A from the start, with each day a separate offense (Sec. 14.1019). A criminal violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $900, imprisonment up to five months, or both (Sec. 14.1020), and the Director can deny, suspend, or revoke a license for felony convictions, incomplete or false information, or repeated violations (Sec. 14.1018).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a thrift store run by a charity a secondhand dealer under Howard County law?
Do flea market vendors need a secondhand dealer license?
How long must a secondhand shop keep its transaction records?
What ID information must a secondhand dealer collect from sellers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
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