Monterey Park, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Trade-in exemption
- Manufacturer's agent taking trade-ins, with filed affidavit
- Reporting days
- Every Monday and Thursday before 10:00 a.m.
- Resale hold
- 5 days after item received or purchased
- Record access
- Open to any police officer during business hours
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 5.64
Summary
Monterey Park requires every secondhand dealer to report transactions to police twice weekly, keep open records, and hold purchased goods for five days before resale, per Municipal Code Chapter 5.64. The definition specifically excludes retailers taking used goods as trade-in credit toward new merchandise.
"Secondhand dealer" is any person conducting, managing, or carrying on the business of buying, selling or otherwise dealing in used or secondhand goods, but shall not be construed to apply to the receipt or sale of any secondhand goods by any person that received the same as part payment on new goods, if such person is the authorized representative or agent of the manufacturer, jobber, or distributor of the said new goods sold and if an affidavit to that effect of such manufacturer, jobber or distributor, or the authorized officer thereof, is produced and filed with the license collector.
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Section 5.64.020 defines a secondhand dealer as any person conducting the business of buying, selling, or otherwise dealing in used or secondhand goods, but the definition does not reach a person who received secondhand goods as part payment on new goods if that person is the authorized representative or agent of the manufacturer, jobber, or distributor of the new goods sold, provided an affidavit to that effect is filed with the license collector. Beyond that carve-out, secondhand dealers share the same operating duties as pawnbrokers under the same chapter: Section 5.64.030 requires a report delivered to the police department office every Monday and Thursday before ten o'clock in the morning describing every item received on deposit, pledged, or purchased, with the seller's name, address, and description, the pawn ticket number, and amount paid, posted conspicuously at the place of business.
Section 5.64.040 requires a complete transaction record open at all times during business hours to inspection by any police officer, and Section 5.64.050 keeps filed police reports restricted to department members. Section 5.64.060 penalizes failure to report, keep records, or allow inspection on demand. Section 5.64.070 bars resale of any purchased or received article within five days. A secondhand dealer operating as a secondary line of business alongside another licensed operation must still obtain a permit under Chapter 5.16 per Section 5.64.080, without an added license fee for the secondhand activity.
Violations & Fines
A secondhand dealer who fails, refuses, or neglects to file the twice-weekly report, maintain the required record, or exhibit goods and records to a police officer immediately on demand violates Section 5.64.060. Chapter 5.64 prints no dedicated fine, so violations default to the citywide misdemeanor penalty in Chapter 4.10: a fine up to one thousand dollars, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Monterey Park store taking trade-ins count as a secondhand dealer?
What records must a secondhand dealer keep?
Can a secondhand dealer resell an item the same day it is bought?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey Park
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey Park to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle secondhand dealers.