Turlock, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- TMC § 5-22-09, § 5-22-13
- License fee
- $150 per year
- Reporting
- Weekly to Turlock Police, every Monday
- ID required
- Seller ID copy and fingerprint
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Turlock requires junk dealers and scrap metal recyclers to get an annual $150 City license, weekly report sales to police, and hold seller ID and fingerprints on every transaction.
It is unlawful for any person to act as a junk dealer or recycler without first making an application for and receiving from the City of Turlock a license to act as such junk dealer or recycler in the unincorporated areas of the County. ... The required annual fee for a junk dealer or recycler's license shall be One Hundred Fifty and no/100ths ($150.00) Dollars.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937289; v6 updated 2026-06-25).
Full Breakdown
Turlock Municipal Code § 5-22-09 requires anyone acting as a junk dealer or scrap metal recycler to first obtain a City of Turlock license: the section's leftover reference to 'unincorporated areas of the County' is inherited boilerplate; applications go to the City's own Finance Department per § 5-22-10 and cost $150 a year under § 5-22-13. Dealers must report every purchase and sale to the Turlock Police Department each Monday, keep a photocopy of the seller's ID and vehicle plate, take a fingerprint from every seller, and pay only by check after a 15-day hold. Sellers under 18 are off-limits, and the City Council can suspend, revoke or condition a license for cause.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a junk dealer or scrap recycler without a City license, or failing to report transactions to police weekly, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Turlock require a license to operate as a junk dealer?
What must a junk dealer report to police?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Turlock
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Secondhand Dealers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle secondhand dealers.