Phoenix, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, from City Clerk
- Reporting threshold
- Serial number or over $100
- Report deadline
- Within 24 hours
- Holding period
- 10 calendar days
- Application fee
- $130 (secondhand dealer)
Summary
Secondhand dealers in Phoenix must hold a City Clerk license before operating, and must report and hold every reportable item for 10 days.
It is unlawful for any person to operate a mercantile business within the corporate limits of the City without possessing a valid license as provided in this chapter. ... Every person engaged in the business of auction house or secondhand dealer shall make out at the time of the transaction a true, complete, and legible report of all goods or articles, received on deposit or consignment, trade or exchange, or by purchase, that bear a serial number or have a fair market value in excess of $100.00.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-7524, passed June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Phoenix City Code Chapter 19, Article IV makes it unlawful to run a secondhand-dealer business without a City Clerk license (Sec. 19-3). Every purchase, trade, or consignment of an item bearing a serial number or worth more than $100 must be reported to the Police Department within 24 hours via the online reporting portal, and the dealer must keep the item on hand, unaltered, for 10 calendar days after the report is submitted before it can be sold or returned (Sec. 19-40, Sec. 19-41). A copy of each transaction report must be kept on the premises for six months.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, or violating the reporting/holding rules, is grounds for license suspension or revocation and can carry Class 1 misdemeanor penalties for false reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a secondhand/pawn-style shop in Phoenix?
How long must a Phoenix secondhand dealer hold purchased items?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
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How other cities in Maricopa County handle secondhand dealers.