Used-goods dealers in Santa Ana must register with the state, transmit electronic transaction reports through CAPSS, fingerprint employees, and hold purchased items for the statutory waiting period before resale.
California Business and Professions Code section 21625 et seq. requires every secondhand dealer to obtain a state license through the Department of Justice and to report each tangible-property transaction to law enforcement via the California Pawn and Secondhand Dealer System (CAPSS). Santa Ana Police use these reports to recover stolen property. Dealers must hold acquired items for 30 days before reselling, verify seller identification, photograph items where required, and maintain records open to inspection. Local business licensing layers a city tax certificate on top of the state license.
Failing to file CAPSS reports, reselling within the 30-day hold, missing seller IDs, or operating without a state secondhand dealer license can lead to misdemeanor charges and license revocation.
See how other cities in Orange County handle secondhand dealers.
See how Santa Ana's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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