Stockton, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Chief of Police (§5.28.030)
- State definition adopted
- Bus. & Prof. Code §21626
- Transaction report deadline
- within 48 hours to police
- Operating hours
- 7 a.m.-9 p.m. (11 p.m. Sat.)
- Holiday closures
- 6 named holidays
- Hold period before resale
- 30 days
- Exemptions
- nonprofit periodic sales, some equipment transfers
Summary
Stockton secondhand dealers, defined by reference to Cal. Business & Professions Code §21626 and including cash-for-gold stores and exchange dealers, need a Police Chief-issued permit under SMC §5.28.030, must record every transaction on a DOJ-approved form, and must report purchases to police within 48 hours, double the 24-hour window pawnbrokers get.
§ 5.28.020. Definitions. ... "Secondhand dealer" shall have the same meaning as that term is defined in California Business and Professions Code Section 21626 and includes cash for gold stores and exchange dealers. A "secondhand dealer" does not include a coin dealer or participants at gun shows or events, as defined in Section 478.100 of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations ... § 5.28.100. Record of transactions to Chief of Police. A. Every person engaged in any of the businesses described in Section 5.28.090 shall be required ... within 24 hours (excluding Sunday and holidays) in the case of pawnbrokers and secondhand jewelry dealers and 48 hours (excluding Sunday and holidays) in the case of secondhand dealers ... make out and deliver to the Chief of Police ... the original copy of the transaction filled out on the form authorized by the California Department of Justice.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
040 exempts only religious, charitable or nonprofit periodic sales and certain equipment received from known governmental or business sources. 100. m. m. 060. 210.
Violations & Fines
A secondhand dealer who operates without the required permit, alters transaction records, or violates a police hold order faces the same Chapter 5.28 penalty scheme as pawnbrokers: prosecution under Title 1, Chapters 1.08 and 1.40 for criminal and administrative civil penalties under §5.28.260, plus suspension or revocation of the permit itself under §5.28.250 for a demonstrated pattern of violations, fraud in the application, or an expired or revoked state DOJ license.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a 'secondhand dealer' under Stockton's code?
What hours can a Stockton secondhand dealer be open?
How fast must a Stockton secondhand dealer report purchases to police?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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