San Bernardino County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Hold period
- 30 days
- Reporting
- DOJ CAPSS daily
- Licensing agency
- SBC Sheriff
- State law
- B and P 21625
Summary
Secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers in unincorporated San Bernardino County must register with the Sheriff and report transactions through the California Department of Justice CAPSS reporting system under state law.
21625. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to curtail the dissemination of stolen property and to facilitate the recovery of stolen property by means of a uniform, statewide, state-administered program of regulation of persons whose principal business is the buying, selling, trading, auctioning, or taking in pawn of tangible personal property and to aid the State Board of Equalization to detect possible sales tax evasion. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to require the uniform statewide reporting of tangible personal property acquired by persons whose principal business is the buying, selling, trading, auctioning, or taking in pawn of tangible personal property, unless the property or the transaction is specifically exempt herein, for the purpose of correlating these reports with other reports of city, county, and city and county law enforcement agencies and further utilizing the services of the Department of Justice to aid in tracing and recovering stolen property. Further, it is the intent of the Legislature that this article shall not be superseded or supplanted by the provisions of any ordinance or charter of any city, county, or city and county.
Full Breakdown
California Business and Professions Code section 21625 and following requires secondhand dealers to obtain a license, fingerprint employees, and report all tangible personal property transactions daily through the Department of Justice Computerized Automated Pawn-Property Submission system. The San Bernardino County Sheriff is the local licensing authority for unincorporated areas. Dealers must hold property for 30 days before resale, allowing law enforcement to recover stolen goods and clear pawned merchandise from theft databases.
Violations & Fines
Failing to license, fingerprint employees, hold goods for 30 days, or report through CAPSS can trigger misdemeanor charges and license revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 30-day hold apply to pawned items as well?
Are coin and bullion dealers exempt from the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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