Thousand Oaks, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Junk collectors, junk dealers, pawnbrokers, secondhand & antique dealers
- Purchase report deadline
- Filed with Chief of Police by 2:00 p.m. the following day
- Item retention period
- 30 days (per Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 21636)
- Metals segregation period
- 72 hours in original condition, kept separate
- Prohibited hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Revoked-permit wait
- 3 months before reapplying
Summary
Thousand Oaks requires anyone acting as a junk collector, junk dealer, pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, or antique dealer to obtain a police-approved permit before starting business, and imposes daily reporting, record-retention, and operating-hours rules aimed at preventing trafficking in stolen goods. Dealers must report and retain records of everything they buy, hold purchased metals separately for 72 hours, and keep any item for 30 days before reselling it.
No person may engage in the following business without first obtaining a permit: (a) Junk collector; (b) Junk dealer; (c) Pawnbroker; (d) Secondhand dealer; and (e) Antique dealer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-78: 2026 S-78 Supplement contains: Current city legislation passed through March 31, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Applications go to the Chief of Police (TOMC § 3-6.03) and must be approved before a permit issues; if a permit is revoked, the holder can't reapply for three months. Daily purchase/receipt reports are due to the Chief of Police by 2:00 p.m. the following day (with exemptions for licensed-auction, out-of-city, and dealer-to-dealer purchases), and those reports are kept on file for three years and open to law enforcement inspection. Metals purchased each day must be segregated and kept in original condition for 72 hours, and all merchandise is subject to the 30-day statewide retention period under Business & Professions Code § 21636. Dealers must also post an English-language sign identifying their business as a junk, secondhand, or antique dealer, visible from the street.
Violations & Fines
The ordinance makes it unlawful to accept, purchase, or receive goods, or otherwise conduct business, between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (TOMC § 3-6.16); general Code-violation penalties under Title 1, Chapter 2 apply to noncompliance with permit, reporting, and retention requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Thousand Oaks pawnshop buy and resell an item the same day?
Why do secondhand dealers ask for my ID and details when buying items?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thousand Oaks
California rules heatmap·Compare Thousand Oaks to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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