South Fulton, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Metal and secondary metal recyclers, defined in Sec. 2-5001 as anyone who pays compensation for ferrous or nonferrous metals that have served their original economic purpose, may not operate in South Fulton without a current occupational tax certificate or business license issued under chapter 5 of title 2, and must also comply with the city's zoning code, per Sec. 2-5018. Sec. 1 layers on detailed recordkeeping: recyclers must log every transaction in sequential order, describing the item's manufacturer, model, serial number, and other identifying marks; assign a transaction number that stays tagged to the item until it is resold; and take a well-focused digital photograph of both the item and its serial number.

It is unlawful to buy an item whose appearance shows tampering or an effort to conceal its origin. Every seller must show government-issued photo identification, and the recycler must record the seller's name, address, phone number, physical description, ID number, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with a photograph of the seller's face and the transaction ticket number. New, unused merchandise in original packaging cannot be purchased unless the seller supplies a sales receipt or other proof of purchase. All of this documentation, in both hard copy and electronic form, must be kept on-site and preserved for four years and made available to law enforcement on request under Sec.

1(g)-(i). Sec. 2 gives law enforcement and code enforcement officers the right to inspect a recycler's purchased property and records during normal business hours after presenting identification, and Sec. 3 subjects violators to criminal and civil penalties, including suspension or revocation of the recycler's occupational tax certificate or business license under the denial/suspension/revocation procedure in Sec. 2-5012.