Portland secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers must hold a city license, report transactions to the Police Bureau via LeadsOnline, and hold purchased goods for a mandatory inspection period.
Under PCC Title 14B and Oregon ORS 165.097, Portland pawnbrokers, secondhand jewelry buyers, scrap-metal dealers, and resale shops must obtain a city secondhand-dealer license and submit daily transaction logs to the Portland Police Bureau through LeadsOnline. Each entry includes seller ID, item description, serial numbers, and purchase price. Dealers must hold purchased items for a fixed inspection period (typically 30 days for general goods, longer for metals) before resale, allowing detectives to recover stolen property. Cash-for-gold operators face additional scrap-metal rules.
Failing to report transactions, selling items before the holding period expires, or accepting goods without proper ID can result in criminal charges, license revocation, and forfeiture of inventory.
See how Portland's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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