Sioux Falls, SD Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, fixed premises required
- Annual fee
- $25
- Minor sales
- Barred unless parent present
- Records inspection
- Police property crimes section
- General penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 30 days jail
Summary
Sioux Falls requires pawnbrokers, secondhand goods dealers, and precious metal/gem dealers to hold a city license tied to a fixed premises before buying or trading regulated used items.
No person shall engage in business as a pawnbroker, secondhand goods dealer, or dealer in precious metals or precious gems unless the person has a fixed premises where all regulated transactions are conducted in person, either on a continuing basis or from time to time, and unless the person has first obtained a license to engage in that business at that premises.
(b) For purposes of this section, FIXED PREMISES includes any nonmobile premises where all regulated transactions are conducted in person and the items received are held according to the provisions of § 116.022, whether or not that premises remains in the same location during the period the license is in effect.
(c) Nothing in this section is intended to prohibit the occasional receipt of articles by a pawnbroker, dealer in precious metals or precious gems, or secondhand goods dealer off the licensed premises. However, any article received shall be recorded and reported according to the provisions of §
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code Ch. 116, anyone buying, selling, or trading secondhand electronics, tools, sporting goods, bicycles, or precious metals/gems for resale must get licensed and operate from a fixed premises where all transactions happen in person. Dealers must log every regulated item, hold it for a set period before resale, make it available to Sioux Falls Police property crimes detectives on request, and cannot buy from anyone under 18 without a parent present. The annual license fee is $25.
Violations & Fines
Operating unlicensed, buying from an unaccompanied minor, or failing to record/hold items as required violates Ch. 116. No chapter-specific penalty is set, so the general Code penalty applies: up to a $500 fine, 30 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who counts as a secondhand goods dealer in Sioux Falls?
Can I buy items from a teenager without a parent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
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