Placentia, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Daily report
- To the chief of police before ten thirty a.m.
- Secondhand hold
- Twenty-one days before resale (§ 6.64.080)
- Junk hold
- Three days before resale (§ 6.64.090)
- Metals
- Kept separate in original condition for three days
- Junk dealer fee
- $115 per year plus $33 per extra vehicle
- Barred hours
- Seven p.m. to seven a.m.
Summary
In the City of Placentia, California, every secondhand dealer, junk dealer and junk collector delivers a daily report to the chief of police before ten thirty a.m. covering the previous day's purchases. Secondhand dealers hold goods twenty-one days before resale, while junk dealers and collectors hold them three days.
Every secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector on each day before the hour of ten thirty a.m., shall make out and deliver to the chief of police on a blank form to be obtained by such secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector from the office of the chief of police for that purpose, a full, true and complete report of all goods, wares or merchandise purchased, traded or received during the day preceding the filing of such report. Such report shall show the hour of the day when each article was purchased, traded or received and the true signature and address of the person or persons by whom each article was sold, traded or delivered, together with a description of such person or persons. ... Such report shall also show the amount purchased, and a complete description of each article purchased, traded or received.
Full Breakdown
Section 6.64.010 of the Placentia Municipal Code defines a secondhand dealer as any person carrying on the business of buying, selling or otherwise dealing in secondhand goods, wares or merchandise. A junk dealer has a place of business in the city and deals in items such as old rags, sacks, bottles, cans, papers, metals and dismantled automobile or bicycle parts. A junk collector has no fixed place of business and goes from house to house or place to place gathering and buying junk.
Section 6.64.030 is the reporting rule. Each day before ten thirty a.m. the dealer delivers to the chief of police, on a blank form from the police office, a full report of all goods purchased, traded or received the day before. The report shows the hour of each transaction, the seller's signature and address, a description of the seller, the amount purchased and a description of each article, including any engraved number, word or initial and any settings. Section 6.64.070 requires every report and record to be written entirely in English.
Section 6.64.040 adds a metals rule: a junk dealer or collector keeps each day's purchase of copper, brass or other metals in a separate designated place, in original condition, for three days, open to police inspection. Section 6.64.050 requires a complete record open to the chief of police or any officer during business hours and a sign readable from the sidewalk naming the business. Section 6.64.080 sets the twenty-one day hold for secondhand dealers and Section 6.64.090 sets three days for junk dealers and collectors. Section 6.64.100 bars buying from anyone under eighteen, and Section 6.64.130 bars transactions between seven p.m. and seven a.m. and from midnight Saturday to seven a.m. Monday. Section 6.64.110 exempts items such as rags, bottles, cans, shoes, lamps, stoves and household furniture, with exceptions for sewing machines, musical instruments and serial-numbered merchandise. Under Section 5.08.260 the junk dealer fee is $115 per year including one vehicle, plus $33 for each additional vehicle, and a permit is required.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 6.64 prints no penalty of its own, so Section 1.08.010 applies: a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, and each day is a separate offense. An administrative citation under Section 1.10.030 carries fines not exceeding $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within one year and $500 for each additional one, where no amount is set by council resolution. Section 6.64.140 bars signing a fictitious name or address to a bill of sale or making a false entry in a required report.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the daily report due in Placentia?
How long before a junk dealer in Placentia can resell an item?
Which goods are exempt from the reporting rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placentia
California rules heatmap·Compare Placentia to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle secondhand dealers.