Milwaukee licenses secondhand article dealers and secondhand jewelry dealers under Code Ch. 90, requiring transaction reporting, holding periods, and police access to records to deter sale of stolen goods.
Milwaukee Code Ch. 90 requires anyone buying or accepting on consignment used merchandise, jewelry, or precious metals for resale to hold a secondhand dealer license. Wis. Stat. Ch. 134 §134.71 sets baseline statewide rules requiring electronic reporting through the state-approved system, identification of sellers, and a 30-day holding period before items may be resold or altered. Milwaukee piggybacks on these rules and adds local zoning and operating-hours conditions. Secondhand jewelry dealers face stricter recordkeeping. MPD's pawn detail and the License Division audit transactions. Refusal to allow inspection or failure to upload daily transactions is grounds for revocation.
Operating without a license, failing to report transactions to the state database, altering items before the 30-day hold expires, or refusing police inspection results in citations, license suspension, and possible criminal charges.
See how Milwaukee's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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