New Bedford, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Residency requirement
- 6 months in city or adjoining town
- Waiver
- Two-thirds city council vote
- Holding period before resale
- 30 days, § 15-41
- Fire certificate
- Required before license, § 15-40
- Penalty
- Up to $50 fine, § 15-50
Summary
New Bedford limits junk, old-metals, and secondhand-article dealer licenses under section 15-38 to applicants who have lived in the city, or an adjoining town, for at least six months before applying, though the city council can waive that residency rule by a two-thirds vote.
Licenses to deal in junk, old metals or any secondhand articles shall be granted only to persons who have been residents of the city or to a firm, the principal officers of which have been residents of the city, for at least six (6) months next preceding the date of the application for such licenses and to persons who have been residents for at least six (6) months in one of the towns next adjoining the limits of the city. Provided, however, that this requirement may be waived by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the city council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
Section 15-38 restricts licenses to deal in junk, old metals, or secondhand articles to people who have been city residents, or residents of an adjoining town, for at least six months before applying; a firm's principal officers must meet the same residency test. The city council can waive the residency requirement only by a two-thirds vote. Section 15-39 requires every licensed dealer to keep a book recording each purchase's description, the seller's name, age, birth date, and residence, the date and hour, and, if delivered by vehicle, the vehicle's registration and the operator's license number; the book must stay open to inspection by the mayor, council, police chief, or their designees, and the shop must post a sign identifying the licensee's name and occupation.
Section 15-40 requires the applicant to file a fire chief's certificate confirming the premises were inspected within one week of the application and meet fire-safety precautions. Section 15-41 bars dealing with minors and requires a 30-day holding period before any purchased article can be resold. Sections 15-42 and 15-43 fold the recordkeeping, minor, and stolen-property-notice rules from the pawnbroker sections into every secondhand license. Section 15-44 extends the six-month residency rule to junk collectors and requires the license to be worn visibly on outer clothing.
Violating any of these sections is punishable under section 15-50 by a fine of up to $50 per offense plus mandatory license revocation, and section 15-51 bars relicensing for five years after a revocation.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a junk, old-metals, or secondhand dealer without meeting the six-month residency rule or holding a license violates section 15-38. Failing to maintain the required purchase record book and posted sign violates section 15-39, and reselling an item before the 30-day holding period or buying from a minor violates section 15-41. Any violation is punishable by up to a $50 fine under section 15-50, with automatic revocation and a five-year relicensing bar under section 15-51.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a New Bedford resident to get a secondhand dealer license?
How long must a secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling it?
What records must a New Bedford secondhand shop keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Bedford
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