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El Dorado County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

License type
Sheriff special business license
License term
2 years
Base category fee
$186
Reporting check
3-month compliance history required
Covered goods
Firearms, jewelry, serial-numbered items

Summary

Secondhand dealers operating in unincorporated El Dorado County need a Sheriff-issued special business license valid two years, and the Sheriff must certify the dealer filed all required reports on secondhand merchandise purchases for the three months before applying, under Section 5.14.060.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of El Dorado County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

In addition to a special business license, the Sheriff shall certify that, during a period of three months prior to the application for such license, the applicant has complied with all laws and ordinances requiring reports of the purchase or receipt of secondhand merchandise.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).

Full Breakdown

050 defines a secondhand dealer as any person who buys, sells, trades, takes in pawn, accepts for consignment, accepts for auction, or auctions secondhand merchandise, meaning used goods such as firearms, jewelry including watches and cameras, and other tangible personal property bearing a serial number or personalized inscription under Business and Professions Code Section 21627. 030 for fortunetelling, carnivals, secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers. 040). 030 process required of other special licensees: sworn application, fingerprints, photograph, a description of the merchandise dealt in and its source, and a Sheriff investigation completed within 30 days.

060 requires the Sheriff to separately certify that the dealer complied, during the three months before applying, with every law and ordinance requiring reports of secondhand merchandise the dealer purchased or received, tying the license directly to the dealer's stolen-property reporting record.

Violations & Fines

Operating as a secondhand dealer without the required Sheriff-issued special business license is a misdemeanor under Section 5.36.040, with each day of unlicensed operation a separate offense, and the Tax Collector or District Attorney can sue to collect the unpaid fee as a civil debt (Section 5.36.030). The Sheriff can deny or decline to certify a dealer under Section 5.14.030(H) or Section 5.14.060 for a disqualifying conviction, false statements, or an unresolved failure to file the required secondhand-merchandise purchase reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do secondhand dealers need a special license in El Dorado County?
Yes. Section 5.14.020(E) requires a Sheriff-issued special business license for secondhand dealers, in addition to the county's base business license. The category fee is $186 under Section 5.04.030, shared with pawnbrokers, fortunetellers and carnivals because the Board classifies these enterprises as needing extra investigation.
How long does a secondhand dealer license last?
Two years, longer than the standard one-year special business license, because Section 5.14.040 ties the term to the state secondhand-goods licensing statutes in Financial Code Section 21300 et seq. and Business and Professions Code Section 21640 et seq.
What merchandise counts as secondhand under the ordinance?
Section 5.04.050 defines secondhand merchandise to include used firearms, jewelry such as watches and cameras, and other tangible personal property that carries a serial number or personalized initials or inscription, as described in Business and Professions Code Section 21627. Vehicles and trade-ins on new retail merchandise are excluded.
What does the Sheriff check before licensing or renewing a dealer?
Under Section 5.14.060, the Sheriff must certify that during the three months before the application, the dealer complied with every law and ordinance requiring reports of secondhand merchandise purchases or receipts, connecting the license directly to the dealer's record of reporting potentially stolen goods.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in El Dorado County

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsMassage EstablishmentsSignificant RestrictionsAdult EntertainmentSignificant RestrictionsTobacco Retail LicenseSignificant RestrictionsAuto Repair on Residential PropertySome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome Restrictions

All El Dorado County rules

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