Hillsborough County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Transaction reporting
- Electronic, to Sheriff's Office
- Reporting deadline
- 10 a.m. daily or 24 hrs
- Holding period
- 30 calendar days
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only
- Max penalty
- $500 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
Secondhand dealers, pawn-style flea market merchants, and precious-metals buyers in unincorporated Hillsborough County must log every transaction electronically with the Sheriff's Office and hold goods 30 days before resale.
A secondhand dealer shall maintain a legible electronic record, in the English language, of all transactions to which such secondhand dealer is a party involving secondhand goods. Such electronic format shall be specified by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and promulgated by way of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Secondhand Dealer Data Specifications. It shall be the responsibility of the individual secondhand dealer, or any employee thereof, to obtain the most current data specifications from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Such data specifications may be subject to amendments by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office from time to time.
Supp. No. 2 CD10:67 § 10-311 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, LAWS, PART A, GENERAL ORDINANCES
(c) A secondhand dealer shall transmit, in the electronic format and method required by this section, the information maintained by § 538.04, F.S. (2013), as well as a digital image clearly depicting the secondhand goods which are the subject of the transaction with the secondhand dealer.
(d) A secondhand dealer shall have the ability to download information required by this section onto a paper format in the image of the form approved by the Department of Law Enforcement, as provided in § 538.04, F.S. (2013), upon request by law enforcement officers. In
Full Breakdown
Article X of the county code, enacted under F.S. § 538.17, layers county requirements on top of the state's Chapter 538 secondhand-dealer law. Every dealer must keep a legible electronic transaction record in the Sheriff's Office-specified format, including a photo of each item, and transmit it to the Sheriff's Office by 10:00 a.m. daily or within 24 hours of the transaction. Acquired goods must stay in the dealer's physical possession within the county for 30 days before sale or disposal. Garage sales and small used-media lots are exempted.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with the recordkeeping or 30-day holding rules is prosecuted like a misdemeanor: up to a $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do secondhand dealers need a county license in Hillsborough County?
How long must a pawned or bought item be held before resale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsborough County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hillsborough County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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