Paulding County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Paulding County Code § 46-100, adopted in Article VI of Chapter 46 by Ord. No. 20-08, regulates any "dealer in precious metals or gems," defined by cross-reference to O.C.G.A. § 43-37-2(b) as a person required to register with the state under Georgia's precious-metals-and-gems law. That state statute already requires these dealers to register and keep transaction records; the county ordinance layers on an additional, purely local restriction.

Once a dealer or its agent or employee purchases precious metals, gems, or goods made from them, such as jewelry, coins or flatware, the dealer cannot sell the item, exchange it, remove it from the buyer's legal possession, or alter its form, whether by remounting, melting, cutting up, or any other method, until at least 30 calendar days have elapsed from the date of purchase or acquisition. The holding period applies regardless of whether the dealer believes the item was legitimately sold to it; the ordinance draws no exception for good-faith purchases.

The purpose, consistent with similar holding-period laws statewide, is to give victims of theft and investigating officers a realistic window to identify and recover stolen jewelry or metal before it is melted down or resold and becomes untraceable. Because § 46-100 does not set out its own penalty, a violation is punished under the Code's general penalty provision at § 1-19, meaning fines starting at $100.00 and rising with repeat convictions, plus up to six months in jail.