Tampa, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Tampa Code Ch. 6, §§ 6-4, 6-29
- Permit required
- Business operating permit, per location
- Renewal date
- Expires September 30 annually
- Late/unpermitted operation
- Double application fee (§ 6-32)
- Transfer
- Not transferable (§ 6-33)
Summary
Tampa classifies secondhand dealers as a 'regulated business' under Chapter 6, so operating one without a current city business operating permit is a separate offense every single day it continues.
Regulated business means a secondhand dealer and secondary metals recycler as defined by F.S. Ch. 538, as now enacted or hereafter amended; swap lot; swap meet; flea market; amusement arcade; temporary help agency; blood donor center; skating rink; business or individual advertising on the private property of another by means of handbills, and any adult use as defined in the zoning code. ... It is unlawful for any person to engage in a regulated business without a current business operating permit issued by the city. Each day of operation without such permit shall constitute a separate offense. Each location requires a separate business operating permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6 of the Tampa Code lists secondhand dealers -- as defined under Florida Statutes Chapter 538 -- among the 'regulated businesses' subject to the city's permitting scheme at Sec. 6-4, alongside swap lots, flea markets, and secondary metals recyclers. Under Sec. 6-29, it is unlawful to engage in a regulated business, including a secondhand dealing operation, without a current business operating permit issued by the city, and each day of operation without one is its own separate offense; a business with two locations needs two permits.
To get the permit, Sec. 6-30 requires proof a zoning compliance permit has been issued, proof of any required building change-of-use permit, proof the occupational license tax has been paid, the application fee, and a signed certified statement that everything submitted is true. The official has thirty days under Sec. 6-31 to approve or deny. Anyone who starts operating before the permit issues owes double the application fee under Sec. 6-32, on top of possible prosecution. Permits are not transferable between owners, locations, or business types under Sec.
6-33, expire every September 30th under Sec. 6-34, and terminate automatically on any change of ownership or management under Sec. 6-35, forcing a fresh application. The permit must be posted and displayed at the business at all times per Sec. 6-39.
Violations & Fines
Operating a secondhand-dealing business without a valid business operating permit is a separate offense for each day under Sec. 6-29, and starting operations before the permit is issued doubles the required application fee under Sec. 6-32. The official may also suspend or revoke a permit under Sec. 6-76 for a violation of any rule applying to the permitted business, following the notice and hearing procedure in Sec. 6-77.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tampa require a separate license for secondhand dealers?
What if I open before the permit is approved?
Can I transfer my secondhand dealer permit to a new owner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
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