Norwalk, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Secondhand dealer permit
- Annual permit required, §5.44.050
- Junk dealer/collector permits
- Separate permits, §5.44.060, §5.44.070
- Operating hours ban
- 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Standard hold period
- 14 days before resale (§5.44.160)
- Metal/junk dealer hold
- 21 days for repairable metal (§5.44.170)
- Sheriff hold authority
- Up to 90 days (§5.44.200)
Summary
Secondhand dealers, junk dealers and junk collectors in Norwalk each need a separate annual permit under Municipal Code Sections 5.44.050 through 5.44.070 before doing business. Like pawnbrokers, they cannot buy, pledge or accept goods between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and must log every transaction on a Sheriff's buy-form.
Except as otherwise provided in this Code, every person doing business in the City as a secondhand dealer shall first procure a permit and shall pay an annual permit fee in an amount as established by resolution of the City Council. ... A person engaged in conducting, managing or carrying on the business of secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector or an agent or employee of any such person shall not accept any pledge or loan any money upon personal property or purchase or receive any goods, wares or merchandise or any article or thing, or in any manner whatsoever engage in or conduct any such business between the hours of 7:00 p.m. of any day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
Full Breakdown
020. the next morning. 130. 180. 210. 080 lets a charitable institution obtain the same permit for a one-dollar fee instead of the standard resolution-set annual fee.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a secondhand or junk dealer without the Section 5.44.050/.060/.070 permit, buying or accepting goods outside the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window, or disposing of goods before the 14- or 21-day hold expires, is grounds for permit revocation under Section 5.44.020(E) after notice and hearing, and exposes the operator to the general misdemeanor penalty under Section 1.16.010 of up to $1,000 and six months in jail per day of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a secondhand shop in Norwalk need its own license?
What hours can a Norwalk junk dealer buy goods?
How long must a secondhand dealer hold items before reselling them?
Do charities need a permit to run a junk collection drive?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norwalk
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How other cities in Los Angeles County handle secondhand dealers.