Madison County, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License trigger
- junkyard within 1,000 ft of highway right-of-way
- Annual county fee
- $500 to $1,000
- Screening required
- not visible from the highway
- License expiration
- every September 30
- Stacks with
- state license fee, Ala. Code § 23-1-244
- Issuing office
- county license director, county commission
Summary
Anyone running a junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway right-of-way in unincorporated Madison County needs a county license under Ala. Code § 45-45-173.03. The county will not issue one unless the yard is screened from the highway, and the annual fee runs $500 to $1,000 on top of the state license fee.
(a) No person shall establish, operate, or maintain a junkyard containing any items listed in Section 45-45-173.01, but not limited to those items, any portion of which is within 1,000 feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way of any highway, without obtaining a county license to do so from the county commission through the county license director. No license shall be granted except for those junkyards which are screened by natural objects, plantings, fences, or other appropriate means so as not to be visible from the highway. The operation of an unlicensed junkyard constitutes a public nuisance. (b) ...shall charge a license fee of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor less than five hundred dollars ($500) payable each fiscal year. This license fee shall be in addition to the license fee required under Section 23-1-244. All licenses issued under this part shall expire on September 30 following the date of issue.
Full Breakdown
01, if any part of it sits within 1,000 feet of the nearest edge of a highway right-of-way, without a county license issued by the county commission through the county license director. The county cannot legally grant that license unless the yard is screened by natural objects, plantings, fences, or other appropriate means so it cannot be seen from the highway; running one without a license, or without that screening, is itself declared a public nuisance. Subsection (b) puts the licensing mechanics in the Commission's hands: the Commission adopts the regulations and requirements for issuing licenses, can revoke a license any time the yard falls out of compliance, and must charge an annual fee of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 per fiscal year.
That county fee stacks on top of, and does not replace, the separate state license fee required under Ala. Code § 23-1-244. Every license issued under this local act expires on September 30 following issuance and can be renewed year to year by paying the fee again, with proceeds going into the county's general fund. 04: the Commission can sue in the Circuit Court of Madison County to abate the nuisance and recover its abatement costs and attorney's fees from the operator.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unscreened or unlicensed junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway right-of-way is a public nuisance the Madison County Commission can enforce by revoking the license or suing in the Circuit Court of Madison County under § 45-45-173.04, with the court able to assess abatement costs and attorney's fees against the operator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs a junkyard license in Madison County?
Can I get a license without screening the yard from the road?
How much does the county junkyard license cost?
When does the license expire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
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