Southampton, NY Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 199 of the Southampton Town Code governs junk dealers, junk businesses and motor vehicle junkyards operating in the Town of Southampton outside the villages. 'Junk' is defined at § 199-1 to include old or secondhand metals and secondhand materials such as wood, rope, rubber and cloth, plus automobiles too damaged for minor repair. Anyone who buys, sells, stores or handles junk, or who runs a motor vehicle junk business dealing in secondhand vehicles and parts, must obtain a license before operating under § 199-2.

Applications go to the Public Safety Administrator and must disclose the premises location, fence type, zoning classification, the date operations began, and any felony or misdemeanor convictions (§ 199-3). The Town Board reviews the Public Safety Administrator's investigation and issues or refuses the license at its discretion, and may revoke it for noncompliance or an applicant's criminal record (§ 199-4). Every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, and the annual fee is $350 plus the $5 fee under Article 6 of the General Business Law (§ 199-5).

Licensees may not buy junk from anyone under 16, may not operate between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. except for police-directed accident tow storage, and must open records and premises to inspection by the Town Supervisor (§ 199-6). The entire yard perimeter needs a fence at least seven feet high, opaque toward any public highway (§ 199-7), and unprocessed automobile bodies cannot be piled higher than 25 feet (§ 199-8). Revocation follows a hearing with 10 days' notice and a Town Board decision within 60 days (§ 199-11).