San Bernardino, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

56 governs junk and secondhand dealers, pawnbrokers and loan brokers operating in the city. 070, no license to conduct a junk dealer or collector business can issue until the Mayor and City Council grant a written permit. 080 sets the application bar: the applicant must state the business name and location, then file with the Mayor and City Council the written consent of all owners and tenants of property within 150 feet of the proposed site before any permit issues. covering all property received or purchased in the prior 24 hours, including a vehicle's motor number, body serial number, color, make, model and year for any vehicle or part a junk dealer buys.

All such property must be kept intact and unaltered for 30 calendar days from purchase or receipt and produced to the Chief of Police on demand. 040 requires every person leaving property in pledge to give a true signature, correct address and a fingerprint of the right index finger (or another finger if that one is missing) for the report. 050 makes it unlawful to sign a fictitious name or address in connection with these transactions. 090 separately bars any junk dealer or collector from possessing hides, bones or sacks previously used as fertilizer containers for more than one hour. 030, which are open to inspection only by police personnel or under court order.