South Bend, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

The application goes to the City Controller and states the applicant's name, address, and phone number, the store's name and address, and the types of materials to be sold; the Police Department reviews the applicant's criminal history and the risk to public safety before the Controller decides. Every dealer must also keep a daily electronic sales report transmitted to the South Bend Police Department's Records Management System, recording the seller's legal name, address, date of birth, physical description, driver's license or government ID number, a photograph of the item and of the seller, and a right thumbprint for each purchase, retaining that data for three years.

Anything bought must be held at the dealer's permanent place of business for fifteen days before it can be resold, exchanged, or altered, and the goods must be available for inspection by the Police Chief or a designee throughout that hold period. Buying from anyone under eighteen is prohibited outright, and nonprofit or charitable corporations, along with businesses that sell exclusively on consignment, are exempt from the licensing requirement. A dealer wanting to display merchandise outdoors, other than boats, trailers, or vehicles, needs a separate $40 outdoor display permit, cannot display between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., must keep items at least two feet from the sidewalk or right-of-way, and cannot attach anything to a building, tree, fence, or pole; three or more outdoor-display violations in one license term can cost the dealer the underlying license for the rest of the year.