Scranton, PA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

City Code § 379-1 bars any person from buying or trading in secondhand goods, listing scrap gold, silver, jewelry, clothing, home electronics and audio/visual equipment, musical instruments, phones, scales, computers, typewriters, sporting goods, antiques, precious metals, tools, televisions, camcorders, car stereos, and firearms, without first obtaining a license from the Bureau of Code Enforcement. Under § 379-2, the Bureau issues the license to any proper applicant except a person convicted of receiving stolen goods, theft, or burglary; the license runs for one year, covers a single named place of business, and costs $100.

Operating from public streets, alleys, or grounds without the license is separately barred by § 379-3. Every licensee must carry the license for inspection and keep an electronic transaction record for each purchase covering the seller's name and address, the date and time, the price paid, a copy of the seller's photo ID, a description including serial numbers, and a close-up photo of the item; the record must be available to the Bureau and the Scranton Police Department, which may also require real-time or interval electronic reporting (§ 379-4). These recordkeeping and licensing terms were rewritten by Ordinance No. 94-2025, effective September 23, 2025.