Provo, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, before any secondhand purchase
- General hold period
- 30 days before resale
- Gold or silver hold
- 7 days minimum
- Exempt trades
- Furniture, clothing, books, antiques dealers
- Records copy to
- Provo Police and Utah County Sheriff
Summary
Provo licenses secondhand dealers under the same chapter as pawnbrokers, but a straight resale of used goods with no redemption right must sit unsold for 30 days, or just 7 days for gold or silver, and dealers must log detailed customer and item information on every purchase.
"Secondhand dealer" means, except as provided in Subsection (2) of this Section, any person who buys used goods from a person for the purpose of resale to the seller or third persons. ... The definition of secondhand dealer does not include the following: ... (d) a transaction involving vendors who are primarily engaged in the sale of used furniture, used clothing, used appliances, books, magazines or antiques. ... If the agreement between a merchant and a customer is one of sale and the agreement between them expressly provides that the customer does not have the right to redeem the goods which are the subject of the transaction, the goods shall be retained by the merchant for a minimum of thirty (30) days except that gold or silver shall be retained by the merchant for a minimum of seven (7) days.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020's business license fee, and trade-ins accepted toward a new item of greater value. 020, with the fee set on the Consolidated Fee Schedule. 050(3) governs the outright-sale transactions typical of a secondhand shop, where the customer has no right to buy the item back: the dealer must retain the purchased goods for a minimum of 30 days before reselling them, except gold or silver, which need only sit 7 days. 040, capturing the seller's name, date of birth, physical description, address, right thumbprint, and a description of the goods including serial and model numbers, verified against a photo ID; one copy goes to the Provo City Police Department and one to the Utah County Sheriff's Office, with originals kept for at least four years if records are submitted electronically.
Violations & Fines
Failing or refusing to keep the Section 6.05.040 transaction records, or failing to hold purchased goods for the required period under Section 6.05.050, is a basis for revoking the dealer's license under Section 6.05.070, following a hearing before the City administration. Selling within the mandatory hold period defeats the police department's window to trace stolen property back to a dealer before it is resold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Provo secondhand shop need a license to buy used items?
How long must a Provo secondhand dealer hold purchased goods?
What records must a Provo secondhand dealer keep on each purchase?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle secondhand dealers.