Walker County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Article III of Chapter 10 regulates 'dealers' who buy precious metals, gems, or goods made from them, for resale, from anyone other than a manufacturer or another dealer, which in practice covers pawn-style secondhand buyers of gold, silver, platinum and jewelry in unincorporated Walker County. Section 10-45 makes it unlawful to operate as a dealer without a current permit issued by the Walker County Sheriff's Office, which investigates each applicant and can deny a permit in writing, with an appeal to the Board of Commissioners available if requested within 10 business days.

A dealer permit must be renewed by January 15 each year or it expires automatically at 12:01 a.m. on January 16, per § 10-48(c), and no employee may work for a dealer until the Sheriff's Office completes a criminal background check under § 10-47. Every transaction has to be logged in an electronic reporting system the same business day under § 10-49, capturing the customer's identification, a description of the item, the price paid, a photograph of both the customer and the item, and a fingerprint of the customer's right index finger.

Section 10-51 then requires the dealer to hold any precious metals or gems purchased for at least 7 calendar days before reselling, melting or otherwise disposing of them, giving law enforcement a window to match items against theft reports, and § 10-52 bars buying from anyone under 18. Numismatic coin dealers are exempt from the whole article under § 10-50.