Prince George's County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

County Code Division 19 of Subtitle 5 makes it unlawful to operate as, or work as an agent for, a secondhand dealer or pawn dealer without a valid, unsuspended license from the Director of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (Sec. 5-234(a)). Licenses run one year and carry an annual fee under the Table of Fees, plus a per-employee fee and an additional fee for each new employee to cover a criminal background check (Sec. 5-234(b),(c)). New employees must file a license application at least five business days before starting work.

The Director may deny, suspend, or revoke a license if the licensee is convicted of a theft offense, operates more than 30 days without a license, deals in prohibited items, or fails to comply with the Division (Sec. 5-234(d)). The number of pawn dealer licenses is capped at 31 statewide within the County and generally may not be sold, leased, or transferred except to a parent, sibling, or child of the licensee (Sec. 5-234(e)). the next business day or by first-class mail the same day (Sec.

5-237(a),(c)). Dealers must also report electronically through the Regional Automated Property Information Database (RAPID) and pay a RAPID reporting fee (Sec. 5-237(d)). Items generally must be held for 30 days after the report is submitted, or until inspected by police, whichever comes first, and must be tagged and stored separately from other inventory during that period (Sec. 5-238). and cannot use a drive-up window (Sec. 5-240(b),(c)). Automotive dismantlers and recyclers licensed under state law are excluded from the secondhand dealer definition (Sec. 5-233(b)).