Lynnwood, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LMC 5.82.020
- Annual dealer license fee
- $372
- Required bond
- $1,000
- Employee license fee
- $74 per year
- Business hours restriction
- No dealing 9 p.m.-6 a.m.
- Holding period before sale
- 30 days
- Record submission deadline
- 3 business days to police
Summary
Lynnwood, Washington requires anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand jewelry, electronics, firearms or other serial-numbered goods to hold a secondhand dealer's license under LMC 5.82.020, at $372 a year, plus a $1,000 bond. Every employee who handles transactions needs a separate $74 employee license, and the business cannot deal between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of secondhand dealer, as defined in LMC 5.82.010, without first procuring a license to do so, to be known as a secondhand dealer's license. The fee for such secondhand dealer's license shall be fixed in the sum shown in Chapter 3.104 LMC. Any specific licenses required under this chapter are separate from the business license required under 5.06 LMC. ... D. If the license application(s), as provided for herein, are approved, the director or director's designee shall issue a license(s) to the applicant upon his/her executing and delivering to the city a bond to be approved by the city attorney, in the amount of $1,000, conditioned that such licensee conducts such business in compliance with all the laws of the city, state and the United States.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
050, serial-numbered items, and computers or gaming equipment; licensed appliance, auto-parts, wrecking-yard and firsthand jewelry businesses, and nonprofit or charitable activities, are exempted. 104 LMC, and a separate license is needed for each location. 025, posted at the business. 030). without the chief of police's written permission, and requires all transactions to occur on the licensed premises. 050(E)). 080 imposes a 30-day holding period before any purchased item can leave the store unless the police department clears it early, and bars purchases from minors, intoxicated persons, or anyone with a theft-related conviction in the past 10 years. 085 requires items placed under police hold to be physically separated from other stock.
Violations & Fines
Any omission or violation of Chapter 5.82 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, under LMC 5.82.090(A). A licensee convicted of, pleading guilty to, or forfeiting bail on a violation of this chapter, or of any crime involving theft, dishonesty or moral turpitude, has the business license revoked for one year under LMC 5.82.090(B), on top of any civil enforcement available under the code.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Lynnwood secondhand dealer keep a purchased item before selling it?
Can a Lynnwood pawnshop or secondhand dealer stay open all night?
What records must a Lynnwood secondhand dealer keep on every transaction?
Is a thrift store run by a nonprofit exempt from Lynnwood's secondhand dealer license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
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