Lynwood, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 4-23 of the Lynwood Municipal Code folds junk dealers, secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers into a single licensing scheme (§ 4-23.1, § 4-23.2). A secondhand dealer is defined as anyone whose principal business is buying, selling, trading, consigning or auctioning secondhand personal property other than a used-car dealer. Before opening, the operator must obtain a permit from the License Collector and pay a filing fee set by City Council resolution (§ 4-23.4); this is separate from any zoning or general business license. Once licensed, dealers must complete a Chief of Police buy-form for every day's transactions, listing the seller's name, address, driver's license or vehicle plate number, or a fingerprint if no ID is available, and mail or deliver the original plus two duplicates to the Chief of Police within three hours after closing (§ 4-23.5).

Certain nonferrous metals and nickel alloys must be held twenty-one days in the same condition and open to public view before resale, while ferrous scrap such as fence material, pipe, chain and foundry castings must be held three days (§ 4-23.9). Dealers cannot buy, trade or otherwise acquire goods from anyone under sixteen years old, and a minor's claim to be older is no defense for the dealer (§ 4-23.7). Written sale and purchase records, and buy-form copies, must be preserved for at least two years and produced for any peace officer on request (§§ 4-23.5(g), 4-23.9(c)).

Dealers must notify the Chief of Police in writing immediately of any change in ownership or location (§ 4-23.9(g)) and post a copy of the recordkeeping rules on the premises (§ 4-23.9(k)).