Vestavia Hills, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Vestavia Hills City Council, not automatic
- Application fee
- $100.00 to the chief of police
- Bond required
- $25,000.00 indemnity bond plus matching deposit
- Hold period
- 5 days before resale or melting
- Daily report
- To police chief, with seller's thumbprint
- Minimum seller age
- 19 years old
Summary
Vestavia Hills requires anyone buying gold, silver, or gold and silver objects, including cash-for-gold and pawn-style buyers, to get a permit from the City Council under Code of Ordinances Article V. Permittees must log every purchase in a bound book, report daily to the police chief, hold items five days before resale, and never buy from a seller under 19.
It shall be unlawful for any permittee to sell, exchange, alter, destroy, melt, or remove from his place of business any gold or silver or gold or silver objects received, bought, or exchanged by him for a period of five days after the delivery of the report required by section 8-120. ... It shall be unlawful for any permittee to buy or receive any gold or silver, or gold or silver objects from any person under the age of 19 years. ... No person shall engage in the business of buying gold or silver or gold or silver objects without first obtaining a permit therefor from the City Council of the City of Vestavia Hills.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Article V, rewritten by Ordinance No. 2282 on November 23, 2009, regulates every person in the business of buying gold or silver or gold or silver objects in the city, citing the Alabama Pawnshop Act as background state law. 00 application fee, reviewed by the chief of police and set for public hearing before the council under Section 8-133 within 21 days of submission. The council can deny an applicant who violated the article, gave false information, or has a relevant criminal conviction. 00 cash or securities deposit with the director of finance, before the permit issues.
Section 8-118 requires every permittee to keep a permanently bound, numbered purchase book recording a minute description of each item, the seller's name, sex, color, apparent age, and residence, entered in ink at the time of purchase; altering or removing a page is unlawful. Section 8-119 lets the mayor, police chief, or any officer inspect that book and any gold or silver on the premises during business hours. Section 8-120 requires a daily report to the police chief with the seller's thumbprint, and Section 8-121 bars selling, melting, or removing purchased items for five days after that report.
Section 8-122 bars buying from anyone under 19. The permit is valid only at the address shown on it, is non-transferable under Sections 8-135 and 8-136, and its revocation also revokes the associated business license under Section 8-137.
Violations & Fines
Buying gold or silver without the City Council permit, skipping the bound purchase book, missing the daily police report, reselling within the five-day hold, or buying from a seller under 19 are all grounds for the council to deny or revoke the permit under Sections 8-133 and 8-137, after a hearing with at least seven days' written notice. Revocation also cancels the dealer's business license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to buy gold or silver items in Vestavia Hills?
How long must a Vestavia Hills gold buyer hold items before reselling them?
Can a Vestavia Hills pawn or cash-for-gold shop buy from a teenager?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vestavia Hills
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