Meridian, ID Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing authority
- Meridian City Clerk
- Background check
- Fingerprints filed with Idaho State Police
- Holding period (type 1 items)
- 7 calendar days minimum
- License term
- Expires December 31 each year
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Idaho Code
Summary
Anyone buying, trading, or pawning gold, silver, platinum, or palladium items in Meridian for resale needs a Precious Metal Dealer License or a pawnbroker endorsement, plus fingerprinting and detailed transaction records.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator of premises to act as a precious metal dealer, conduct regulated transactions, or allow other persons on the premises to conduct regulated transactions, without a valid City of Meridian Precious Metal Dealer License or, with regard to pawnbrokers holding a valid City of Meridian Pawnbroker License, a precious metal dealer endorsement for a City of Meridian Pawnbroker License.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
Anyone acting as a precious metal dealer - buying or trading used items containing gold, silver, platinum, or palladium - within Meridian city limits must hold a City of Meridian Precious Metal Dealer License from the City Clerk, or add a precious metal dealer endorsement to an existing City of Meridian Pawnbroker License. Applicants submit fingerprints to Idaho State Police, pay an application and background-check fee, and undergo a Chief of Police investigation before the Clerk issues or denies the license. Licensed dealers must photograph and log every transaction and hold type 1 items, like jewelry and silverware, for at least seven days before resale.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a valid license or endorsement, transacting with a minor, falsifying transaction records, or removing purchased items before the mandatory holding period is a misdemeanor under Idaho Code, plus added administrative and civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Meridian pawnbrokers need a separate precious metal dealer license?
How long must a Meridian dealer hold purchased jewelry before reselling it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Meridian
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle secondhand dealers.