Salt Lake City, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Before operating, per § 5.60.020
- Holding period
- 30 days on received items
- Records retained
- 2 years, City Police access
- Business hours
- 7 AM-7 PM (later Sat/holidays)
- Enforcing agency
- Salt Lake City Police Department
Summary
Salt Lake City requires anyone buying, bartering, or selling secondhand goods, junk, or precious metals to hold a city license before opening for business.
It is unlawful for any person to operate as a secondhand dealer, secondhand computer dealer, secondhand compact disc dealer, secondhand precious metal and/or precious gem dealer, junk dealer, junk collector or an antique dealer without first obtaining a license to do so.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 5.60.020 makes it unlawful to operate as a secondhand dealer, secondhand computer dealer, secondhand compact disc dealer, secondhand precious metal/gem dealer, junk dealer, junk collector, or antique dealer without first getting a license. Licensees must hold received items 30 days before disposal or alteration under § 5.60.040, keep a bound recordkeeping book under § 5.60.050, and limit business hours to 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. (later on Saturdays and pre-holiday days) under § 5.60.110.
Violations & Fines
Operating unlicensed, disposing of items before the 30-day hold, or failing to keep required records is a misdemeanor citable by Salt Lake City Police under Title 5.60; each unlawful act is enforceable separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pawnbrokers need a separate license?
Can a secondhand dealer sell an item the same day it's bought?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle secondhand dealers.