Ocala, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

The City of Ocala requires anyone doing business as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer to hold a regulatory permit issued by the city's building director before opening for business, under Sec. 50-51 of Chapter 50, Secondhand Goods. An applicant must apply in writing to the building department and supply a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History Information Report, obtained from the Ocala Police Department at the applicant's own request and expense. The permit can be issued only to a person of good moral character as that term is defined in Sec.

22-1, and the building director must deny the permit if the FDLE report shows the applicant has a felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction involving theft, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude. A denial is not final: the applicant may appeal in writing to the city council within 30 days after the building director's decision. On appeal, the city council can direct that the permit be issued if it finds the building director wrongly withheld it, or if council finds the applicant has otherwise demonstrated good moral character despite the earlier disqualifying criminal record.

Chapter 50, Division 3 separately notes that dealers in precious metals are subject to state recordkeeping requirements under F.S. § 538.041, cited as a cross-reference in the Code's footnotes rather than a locally enacted duty. The requirement covers pawnshops, secondhand furniture and merchandise dealers, and similar resale operations within city limits, and is administered through the city's building department permitting process.