Memphis, TN Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Hours
- 6 a.m.–8 p.m.; 11 p.m. Saturdays (§ 6-68-1)
- Daily police report
- Due by 9 a.m. (§ 6-68-3)
- Resale hold
- 48 hours (§ 6-68-2)
- Minimum seller age
- 16, with parental consent (§ 6-68-4)
- Info card fee
- $1.00 each (§ 6-68-12)
- Cards delivered
- To police by noon (§ 6-68-10)
Summary
Memphis regulates secondhand dealers through mandatory daily police reporting: City Code § 6-68-3 requires every dealer to deliver police a description of each item bought the day before, by 9:00 a.m., and § 6-68-1 restricts business hours to 6:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. on Saturdays). A 48-hour resale hold and a $1.00-per-card fee also apply.
Sec. 6-68-1. - Business hours. It is unlawful for any dealer in secondhand merchandise to open his or her place of business for the transaction of business before 6:00 a.m., or to keep his or her place of business open for the transaction of business after 8:00 p.m., on any day except Saturday, on which day it shall be lawful for any dealer in secondhand merchandise to keep his or her place of business open not later than 11:00 p.m. ...
Sec. 6-68-3. - Daily report of purchases. Every dealer in secondhand merchandise of every kind and description shall prepare and deliver daily to the director of police services, before 9:00 a.m., a report containing a legible and correct description of each and every article or piece of merchandise purchased during the preceding day, together with the name, color, sex and address of the person from whom such property was purchased, and the time at which the property was purchased.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Charter: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
on Saturdays. every day, a legible report describing each article purchased the prior day along with the seller's name, color, sex and address and the purchase time. Section 6-68-2 bars selling, disposing of, or removing any purchased item from the place of business for at least 48 hours after that report reaches police. Section 6-68-4 forbids buying from anyone under 16, and bars dealing with anyone 16 or older without the written consent of a parent or guardian. Section 6-68-5 places an added duty on secondhand book dealers specifically: they may deal only with persons personally known and identifiable to them, must promptly give police any information to identify a seller on request, and commit a misdemeanor by dealing with strangers or refusing that information.
Article 2 (Sections 6-68-6 through 6-68-11) requires a separate color-coded information card, blue for watches, yellow for jewelry and diamonds, pink for clothing, white for miscellaneous items, filled out for each article, bearing the seller's signature, address, thumbprint and physical description, and delivered to the director of police services by noon daily, or transmitted electronically as an alternative under Section 6-68-11. 00 fee per information card delivered, remitted to the city weekly.
Violations & Fines
Opening outside permitted hours, disposing of purchased goods before the 48-hour hold expires, buying from an underage seller, or failing to file the daily police report or information cards required by Chapter 6-68 is enforced under the citywide general penalty, Section 1-24-1: up to a $50.00 fine per violation plus an automatic penalty of up to $200.00 per code section, with continuing violations charged separately each day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Memphis require secondhand dealers to report purchases to police?
What hours can a Memphis secondhand shop operate?
Can a Memphis secondhand dealer buy from a minor?
What information cards must Memphis secondhand dealers keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
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