Pearland, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

' Section 14-24 makes it unlawful to operate without first obtaining that license. The application under § 14-25 must disclose each owner's residence history for the prior five years, whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, and details of the business location and the kind of junk to be handled. Section 14-27 requires a $2,000 bond payable to the city before a license issues, and § 14-29 sets an annual license fee of $100. The city secretary investigates the applicant and can only refuse a license 'for good cause' under § 14-30, though § 14-31(b) bars issuance to anyone convicted of a chapter violation, felony, or non-traffic misdemeanor within the preceding five years.

Every dealer's place of business must be enclosed by a tight board fence at least ten feet high under § 14-3, kept neat and orderly under § 14-2, and open to inspection by police, health, fire and building officials at any reasonable time under §§ 14-4 and 14-28. Section 14-5 requires a written register of every item taken in, including the seller's name and address, entered in ink within an hour of the transaction, and § 14-6 requires the dealer to deliver a copy of that day's register entries to the chief of police every day before 12:00 noon.

Junk received must be held forty-eight hours before resale under § 14-10, and a license, valid one year and expiring each January 1 under § 14-32, can be revoked for good cause after a hearing under § 14-39.