Stafford Township, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Chapter 174 licenses anyone buying, selling or pawning precious metals or other secondhand goods in Stafford Township, including Manahawkin. Under § 174-4A the license comes from the Municipal Clerk and bears a number. The application sets out the dealer's name, date of birth and address, citizenship status, and any convictions of crimes, disorderly persons offenses or municipal ordinance violations. Advertising that secondhand goods are being bought anywhere in the Township counts as engaging in business as a dealer, and every ad must state the license number: in print no smaller than eight point in the lower right-hand corner, and in electronic media visually or audibly.

The Municipal Clerk refers each application to the Chief of Police, who investigates experience, reputation, criminal record and the type of operation, and must finish within 30 days of a completed application (§ 174-5). If the Clerk follows a recommendation to deny, written notice with reasons goes to the applicant within 10 days, and the applicant can appeal to a three-person panel appointed by the Chief of Police by filing written notice of appeal within 10 days. A license cannot be assigned, must be posted conspicuously at or near the principal entrance, and is tied to the designated location.

The nonrefundable initial application and license fee is $100, the annual renewal fee is $100, and a license is valid for one year (§ 174-9). Each dealer delivers a $1,000 surety bond to the Municipal Clerk (§ 174-8). Section 174-4B bars purchases from sellers under 18, intoxicated sellers, sellers who lack a valid New Jersey driver's license or two forms of identification, and articles whose original manufacturer's serial number is no longer legible. Goods must be held for inspection at least seven calendar days, with ten days for jewelry, and purchase records are kept five years (§ 174-7A and D).