Charles County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Charles County Code Ch. 269
- Adopted
- November 5, 2008, Bill No. 2008-17
- Minimum seller age
- 18 years old
- Required seller ID
- Photo ID, address, DOB, SSN
- Records open to
- State or local law enforcement
- Covers
- Junk dealers and scrap metal processors
Summary
Charles County does not issue a separate secondhand-dealer license, but Chapter 269 of the County Code regulates every junk dealer and scrap metal processor doing business in the county through mandatory transaction records, seller ID checks and a ban on buying from minors.
Each junk dealer or scrap metal processor who is a resident of Charles County or who does business as a junk dealer or scrap metal processor in Charles County shall keep a written record in English that: For each purchase of junk or scrap metal: Is made at the time of the purchase; and Includes: A description of the junk or scrap metal purchased; The seller shall provide a driver's license or other government-issued current photographic identification including the seller's full name, current address, date of birth and social security or other recognized identification number... Scrap metal processors shall not purchase from any person under the age of 18 years old.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 269, adopted November 5, 2008 by Bill No. 2008-17, covers any "JUNK DEALER or SCRAP METAL PROCESSOR," defined in Section 269-1 as a person who buys or sells junk or scrap metal, a category that sweeps in old stoves, plumbing and electrical fixtures, pipes, locks, used railroad equipment, used farm machinery and articles of aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, lead, nickel, tin, zinc and similar metals. Section 269-2(A) requires every junk dealer or scrap metal processor who resides in or does business in Charles County to keep a written English-language record made at the time of each purchase.
That record must describe the item bought, capture the seller's driver's license or other government-issued photo ID including full name, current address, date of birth and social security or other recognized ID number, log any vehicle's license tag number, and note the date and time of the transaction. Sales must be logged with the buyer's name and address. Section 269-2(D) states scrap metal processors may not purchase from anyone under 18 years old. Section 269-2(C) makes it unlawful for a dealer to "barter, buy, exchange, or accept from a person any junk or scrap metal" unless these records are kept.
Section 269-2(B) opens all such records to inspection by state or local law enforcement personnel, and Section 269-2(D) requires the processor to furnish a purchase report on request from law enforcement.
Violations & Fines
A junk dealer or scrap metal processor who buys, sells, bartered or exchanged material without keeping the required written record, who fails to capture a seller's ID and vehicle tag information, who buys from a person under 18, or who refuses law enforcement inspection or a requested purchase report is out of compliance with Section 269-2. The section places enforcement in the hands of state or local law enforcement personnel, who have standing authority to inspect the dealer's records at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Charles County require a license to operate as a junk or scrap dealer?
What information must a scrap dealer collect from someone selling metal?
Can a scrap metal processor buy from a teenager?
Who can inspect a junk dealer's purchase records in Charles County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charles County
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