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Redondo Beach, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Council permit required
same permit chapter as pawnbrokers
Annual license tax
$99.00 plus per-employee rate
Standard holding period
30 days on purchased goods
Household goods exemption
lamps, stoves, furniture excluded
Minor transactions
prohibited under age 18
Enforcement
Chief of Police can revoke permit

Summary

Redondo Beach defines a secondhand dealer as anyone buying, selling or dealing in used goods and taxes that business separately from pawnbrokers, at $99 a year plus a per-employee rate, while still requiring the same Council permit and police reporting rules under Municipal Code Chapter 16.

"Secondhand dealer" shall mean any person engaging in, conducting, managing, or carrying on the business of buying, selling, or otherwise dealing in used or secondhand goods, wares, or merchandise. ... Secondhand dealers. ... Every person engaged in the business of secondhand dealer shall pay an annual license tax in the amount of Ninety-Nine and no/100ths ($99.00) Dollars, plus the basic rate per employee. ... Licenses: Issuance. No license shall be issued for a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer without compliance with the requirements of Chapter 16 of Title 4 of this Code regulating pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4889554; v14 updated 2026-05-12).

Full Breakdown

103 before opening. 102 exempts a person who takes secondhand goods as trade-in on new merchandise while acting as an authorized dealer of that manufacturer, and exempts the sale of lamps, stoves and household furniture, except sewing machines, musical instruments and typewriters, which remain regulated. 22(37)(c). 203 lists additional exemptions from the daily reporting and record-keeping duties: trade-ins accepted by dealers whose primary business is retailing new merchandise, property previously reported to the Police Department and already held the required time, property acquired in job lots from a government agency, and donated property received by nonprofit, religious, benevolent or charitable organizations (except firearms). 202(b). 212.

Violations & Fines

A violation of the reporting, record-keeping or exemption provisions of Chapter 16 exposes a secondhand dealer's Council permit to revocation by the Chief of Police under section 4-16.108 upon satisfactory evidence of the violation, ending the right to continue the business. Disposing of property contrary to a police hold order under section 4-16.204(c) is independently unlawful, and violating the business license chapter or misrepresenting facts on the license application is a misdemeanor under section 6-1.29.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Redondo Beach secondhand dealer's business license?
Section 6-1.22(37)(b) sets the annual license tax at $99.00 plus the basic per-employee rate of $18.00 per employee, which is far lower than the $1,281.00 tax charged to pawnbrokers under the same section's subsection (a), even though both need the same Council permit.
Do secondhand furniture or thrift stores need this permit?
Section 4-16.102 exempts the purchase or sale of lamps, stoves, and household furniture from Chapter 16, except sewing machines, musical instruments, and typewriters, which still require the permit and the recordkeeping duties that apply to other secondhand goods.
Does a secondhand dealer have to report every purchase to police?
Yes, unless an exemption in section 4-16.203 applies, such as trade-ins accepted by a new-merchandise retailer or donated property received by a nonprofit. Otherwise section 4-16.202 requires a report to the Chief of Police every 24 hours describing each item and seller.
How long must a secondhand dealer hold purchased items before reselling them?
Section 4-16.204 requires items to be held 30 days at the place of business and open to public view, though the Police Detective Division may shorten that to no less than three days after checking the item against want and crime reports.

Sources & Official References

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