McCracken County, KY Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Section 98.01 covers anyone buying or selling scrap material or secondhand articles, rags, jewelry, gold, silver, scrap iron, copper, zinc, bones, hides, furs, tin, paper, or anything with salvage value, and requires a purchase record, a bill of sale for each transaction, and a report to the County Sheriff on request. Sections 98.20 through 98.28 add a parallel regime for dealers in secondhand or antique jewelry, coins, watches, diamonds, and precious metals. Section 98.20 requires a Leads Online or similar database account directed by the Sheriff, and § 98.21 lists the required entries: date, seller's name, address, birth date, race, sex, license or ID number, and a description of the item including make, model, serial number, and, for gemstones, stone count.

Section 98.22 requires a photograph or ID copy of every seller, kept with the register for one year. Section 98.23 requires daily database entries with seller photographs, and § 98.24 requires a free itemized receipt. Section 98.25 requires purchased articles to be kept separate by day and held for ten consecutive days, available for inspection by the Police Department, County Sheriff, or State Police, before resale. Section 98.26 bars purchases from anyone under 18, and § 98.27 requires a $5,000 bond from transient dealers with no permanent county address. Section 98.28 exempts licensed businesses accepting their own merchandise back for cash, credit, or trade-up.