Secondhand dealers in unincorporated LA County need a Title 7.18 Sheriff business license plus state Bus. & Prof. Code §21626 registration. Daily LeadsOnline reporting of all purchases and a 30-day police hold on every item are mandatory before resale.
LACO Title 7.18 requires every secondhand dealer in unincorporated LA County to obtain a Sheriff-issued business license, on top of state registration under Business and Professions Code sections 21625 to 21645. Dealers must report every purchase electronically, in practice through LeadsOnline, by close of business each day. A 30-day police hold applies before any item can be sold, melted, or altered, allowing LASD to cross-check stolen-property databases. Photo ID and thumbprint are required from each seller. Pawn-style loans push a dealer into the pawnbroker scheme. LASD Business License Detail enforces the Title 7.18 license; state Department of Justice runs the underlying secondhand-dealer registry.
Operating without LASD permit or skipping the 30-day hold is a misdemeanor under Bus. & Prof. Code section 21645 and LACO Title 1.25, with fines up to $1,000, six months jail, license revocation, and seizure of unreported inventory.
See how Santa Monica's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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