Los Angeles, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- Board of Police Commissioners
- Police hold-order
- 90 days on property acquired in the course of business
- Holding period
- Set by Board rule and regulation; must hold before disposal
- Firearms
- Prohibited from selling 'Saturday Night Special' class weapons (§ 103.311.1)
- Swap meets
- Vendors exempt from dealer permit; operator needs separate Board permit
- Excluded categories
- Jewelry, auto wreckers, used car dealers, and secondhand book dealers have separate licensing
Summary
No person may operate a secondhand dealer or secondhand dealer-jewelry business in Los Angeles without a written permit from the Board of Police Commissioners. Police may place 90-day hold orders on acquired property, and dealers must hold all business-acquired goods for a Board-specified period before disposing of them.
(b) Permit Required. No person shall engage in, manage, conduct or carry on the business of a secondhand dealer or a secondhand dealer-jewelry without a written permit from the Board.
(f) Hold-Order. A police officer may place a hold-order upon property acquired by the permittee in the course of the permittee's business, for a period of 90 days, and upon release of such property, may require the permittee to keep a record of the disposition of such property. It shall be unlawful for any person to dispose of any property contrary to any hold-order issued by a police officer.
(g) Holding Period. Property acquired in the course of permittee's business shall be reported and held for such period of time as is fixed by rule and regulation of the Board.
(h) Violation. No permittee shall clean, alter, repair or otherwise change the appearance, melt, destroy, sell, export or otherwise dispose of any article, goods, wares, merchandise, waste materials, junk or things obtained in the course of the permittee's business until such articles have been held for the period required by the Board.
Full Breakdown
A 'Secondhand Dealer' covers buyers and sellers of secondhand, rebuilt, or reconditioned goods but excludes jewelry dealers (separate permit category), auto wreckers, used car dealers, and secondhand book dealers. Dealers must report all acquired property to the Board and may not clean, alter, melt, destroy, sell, or otherwise dispose of any item until the Board-mandated holding period expires. Swap meet vendors are exempt from the main permit requirement, but swap meet operators must obtain their own permit and must verify that vendors consent to police inspection before each swap meet event. Under § 103.311.1, secondhand dealers are prohibited from selling any weapon classified as a 'Saturday Night Special.'
Violations & Fines
No permittee may alter, sell, or dispose of business-acquired goods until the Board-mandated holding period expires. Disposing of property subject to a police hold-order is unlawful. Operating without a permit subjects the person to general LAMC enforcement. No specific dollar fine is stated in § 103.311.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a thrift store or resale shop in LA need a special permit?
How long must a secondhand dealer in LA hold items before selling them?
Can the police place a hold on items at a secondhand store?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle secondhand dealers.