DeKalb County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issued by
- DeKalb County Police Department
- Employee permit
- also required
- Hold period
- 7 calendar days minimum
- Hours
- 7 a.m.–9 p.m. only
- Scope
- unincorporated DeKalb County only
Summary
Unincorporated DeKalb County requires an annual police department permit before anyone can buy precious metals or gems for resale, per Code Section 15-191.
No business license shall be issued to conduct the business of purchasing precious metals or gems until the annual permit required by this section has been issued by the police department.(b)No dealer shall engage in the business of purchasing precious metals or gems without having first obtained an annual permit issued by the police department and no dealer shall allow an employee to be involved in any way in the purchase of precious metals or gems until that employee has first obtained an annual employee permit from the police department and no person shall work as an employee of a dealer until such person has first obtained an annual employee permit. No annual employee permit shall be issued unless the dealer with whom employment is authorized is a holder of a current dealer's permit. (Code 1976, § 7-1252; Ord. No. 11-02, Pt. I, § 1, 11-27-01)
Full Breakdown
No business license issues to purchase precious metals, gems or goods made from them in unincorporated DeKalb County until the police department grants an annual dealer's permit under Section 15-191, and every employee handling purchases needs a separate employee permit. Dealers must fingerprint applicants, keep a permanent transaction record book, photograph sellers and items, and, under Section 15-175, hold every item purchased for at least seven calendar days before reselling, melting or otherwise disposing of it.
Violations & Fines
Buying without the annual permit, falsifying required records, or disposing of items before the seven-day hold period expires is punishable under Section 1-10 and can trigger permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a DeKalb County precious metal dealer hold purchased items?
Is a pawnshop covered by DeKalb's precious metal dealer permit rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia business licensing & operations overview
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