Lower Paxton, PA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 137, Article III covers secondhand trade. Section 137-28 defines ANTIQUE DEALER or SECONDHAND DEALER as any person, transient or permanent, who wholly or in part buys or sells used goods such as collectibles, coins, currency, antiques, precious stones, metals, jewelry, tools, electrical devices, appliances, household goods and firearms. The list is expressly not exclusive. The definition excludes judicial sales, sales of unredeemed pledges by licensed pawnbrokers, occasional or auction sales of household goods from private homes, real estate auctions and auctions conducted by licensed auctioneers. A JUNK DEALER is anyone buying or selling junk, scrap iron, brass, lead, copper, aluminum and other metals.

Section 137-33 is the holding rule: junk, antique and secondhand dealers keep and retain on their premises all articles purchased or received, in the original form, shape and condition, and cannot sell or dispose of them until seven days have elapsed from furnishing the police the § 137-30 form. Section 137-29 requires a digital record or book describing each article and the seller, including name, address, date of birth, sex, race and operator's number. Section 137-30 requires a report to the Police Department before 12:00 noon the next business day. Section 137-31 bars buying from anyone under 18, any intoxicated person or any known thief, and § 137-40 gives police access to records for the past 24 months.

Dealers in precious metals can invoke the § 137-39 affirmative defense for nonretention, but must prove serious and substantial losses from rapid and highly fluctuating market conditions by a preponderance of the evidence.

The licensing requirement lives in Chapter 119, Junkyards, adopted 8-21-1967. A junk dealer under § 119-1 buys, sells, salvages, stores or in any way deals in junk, or owns, leases, operates or maintains a junkyard. Section 119-2 requires a license from the Board of Supervisors, which issues or refuses it within 30 days (§ 119-4). Licenses run for one calendar year and must be renewed on or before January 1 (§§ 119-5, 119-6), with fees set by Board resolution.