Novi, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

City of Novi Code Chapter 27.5, Article III governs secondhand dealers and junk dealers, defined in Section 27.5-30 as any business purchasing, storing, selling, or exchanging secondhand personal property or salvageable junk, excluding scrap processors, automotive recyclers, and clothing resellers whose primary business (over 90 percent of revenue) is clothing. Section 27.5-31 requires an owner or operator to obtain a city business license for each separate office or place of business before engaging in the trade, with an exception only for temporary displays at exhibit halls, schools, or similar civic and exposition facilities.

Section 27.5-32 requires a written application, a nonrefundable license fee, ownership and employee identification, business history, and authorization for the city to investigate the applicant. Under Section 27.5-33, the director of public safety, the Novi Police Department, reviews the application and inspects the premises for compliance with zoning, health, and safety rules before any license issues. Section 27.5-38 requires dealers to record every transaction, including the seller's identification and driver's license copy, and to transmit those records electronically to the police department each Monday by noon; payment may only be made by check or electronic transfer.

Section 27.5-39 requires purchased goods to be tagged and held at least 15 days before resale. Sections 27.5-26 and 27.5-40 bar dealers from knowingly buying from a minor under 18, an intoxicated person, a known thief, or anyone suspected not to own the property. Section 27.5-41 requires fenced storage areas to be kept neat, with stock stacked no higher than two feet below the fence top so police and fire crews retain access. Licenses expire annually under Section 27.5-37 and must be renewed for a fee set by council resolution.