Virginia Beach, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- From chief of police, before licensing
- Prohibited hours
- 10:00 p.m. to sunrise
- Daily reports
- Due by noon next business day
- ID check
- Government photo ID required each time
- Records
- Book kept open to police inspection
Summary
Virginia Beach junk and secondhand dealers must get a police permit before receiving a business license, then file daily electronic transaction reports with the police department.
No license to engage in business as a junk dealer or secondhand dealer in the city shall be issued until the applicant therefor has obtained a permit from the chief of police in accordance with section 18-32. If the chief of police refuses to issue such permit, he or she shall notify the applicant, in writing, of the reasons therefor and the applicant may appeal such refusal to the city council within thirty (30) days from the date of such notice.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Before the commissioner of revenue can issue a business license, junk and secondhand dealers must first obtain a permit from the chief of police under Sec. 18-32; a refusal must be explained in writing and can be appealed to city council within 30 days (§ 18-86). Licensed dealers must verify every seller's government-issued photo ID (§ 25-4), may not buy, barter, or exchange goods between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise (§ 25-5), and must submit a daily electronic report of all transactions to the chief of police by noon the next business day (§ 25-6). Junk dealers must also keep a permanent transaction record book open to police inspection at all times (§ 25-10).
Violations & Fines
Operating as a junk or secondhand dealer without the required police permit blocks licensing outright; buying goods without ID verification or during the 10 p.m.-to-sunrise window is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and skipping daily reports is a Class 4 misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do secondhand dealers in Virginia Beach need a special permit?
Can a secondhand dealer buy items at any time of day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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