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

Chapter 167, Article I of the Sullivan County Code regulates any 'dealer in secondhand precious metals or gems,' defined to include pawnshop-ticket buyers, melters and gem-resetters as well as ordinary secondhand jewelers (§167-2). Section 167-3 bars operating without a license issued by the County Clerk, and the license must be displayed at the shop. Applications go to the County Clerk's office under §167-4: they require the business's trade-name or incorporation papers, the address of every county location, a statement of age and any prior convictions, two 2-inch head-and-shoulders photographs, and electronic fingerprints run through the state Division of Criminal Justice Services for a criminal history check.

The nonrefundable application fee is $200, and every applicant must post a $2,000 bond or surety guaranteeing payment on instruments issued for purchases. A license lasts one year (§167-6); renewal costs $100 and must be filed 15 to 30 days before expiration. The Clerk can deny, suspend or revoke a license for a disqualifying conviction or misrepresentation on the application (§167-7), and a denied or revoked applicant can demand a hearing before an independent hearing officer within 60 days, with further appeal to state court.

, reselling or altering an item within 15 days of acquiring it, and obstructing the public's view of the scale used to weigh metal. Section 167-12 requires a same-day purchase log with a photograph of each item and the seller's ID, forwarded within 48 hours by e-mail to the District Attorney's office and the local police department, which acts as the county's central repository for these records.