Peoria, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License issued by
- City comptroller (Sec. 18-471)
- New dealer fee
- $550/year (Sec. 18-473)
- Established dealer fee
- $165/year, 1+ year in city (Sec. 18-473)
- Prohibited purchase hours
- 9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. (Sec. 18-444)
- Performance bond
- $1,000 (Sec. 18-475)
- Transaction log deadline
- 12 hours, Leads Online (Sec. 18-447)
- Waiting period, serialized goods
- 14 days before resale (Sec. 18-450)
Summary
Peoria licenses every secondhand dealer, a category that by definition includes pawnbrokers, swap shops, and coin and jewelry buyers, through the city comptroller under Code Sec. 18-471. Fees run $550 for a new dealer or $165 for one already operating in the city for a year, purchases are barred between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and licensees must log every transaction into the Leads Online police database within 12 hours.
Secondhand dealer: As used in this article, a "secondhand dealer" is any person which operates a business for profit which buys, sells, possesses on consignment for sale or trades jewelry, stamps, coins/currency, precious metals or stones, which may have been previously owned by a consumer; or which derives more than 35 percent of its gross receipts from the sale, consignment for sale, pledge or trade of any goods, wares or merchandise which have previously been owned by a consumer... The term "secondhand dealer" shall include businesses commonly known as pawnbrokers, swapshop operators, stamp dealers, coin dealers and jewelers who purchase and resell items from persons other than dealers and suppliers... No person, either as owner, manager, lessee, officer or agent, or in any other capacity, shall operate or permit to be operated a secondhand dealership without first having obtained a license from the city to do so.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Article XI of Chapter 18 (Secs. " Garage sales, nonprofit and civic sales, state-regulated auto dealers, and used bookstores are exempt under Sec. 18-442. Sec. , and Sec. 18-445 bars buying from anyone under 18, anyone visibly intoxicated, or anyone without valid government photo ID, and bars buying items with obliterated serial numbers or items the dealer should know are stolen. Sec. 18-446 bars dealing in concealable weapons unless the dealer separately holds a weapons license under Chapter 20, Article VI, Division 2. Sec. com," the police department's tracking system, within 12 hours, including a photo, the seller's ID, and a signed ownership affirmation; Sec.
18-450 layers on waiting periods before resale, 14 days for serialized or collectible items and seven days for appliances and bulk precious-metal commodities. Sec. 18-471 requires a comptroller-issued license before operating, Sec. 18-473 sets the fee at $550 for a dealer new to the city or $165 for one already established there for at least a year, and Sec. 18-475 requires a $1,000 performance bond. Sec. 18-476 lets the comptroller deny a license to anyone under 18, anyone convicted of theft, burglary, or receiving stolen property in the past ten years, or anyone whose prior secondhand license was revoked for cause.
Violations & Fines
Purchasing outside licensed hours, skipping the Leads Online entry, or otherwise violating Article XI is punishable by a fine of at least $100 under Sec. 18-451, with the city also able to suspend or revoke the license. Sec. 18-479 lets the city manager suspend a secondhand dealer's license for up to 30 days, or revoke it, after at least ten days' written notice and a hearing where the licensee may cross-examine witnesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pawnbrokers licensed separately from secondhand dealers in Peoria?
How much does a Peoria secondhand dealer license cost?
How long must a Peoria pawn shop hold an item before reselling it?
What records must a Peoria secondhand dealer keep on every purchase?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
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