Watsonville, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Register
- English-language log of every purchase, sale and commission transaction
- Seller signature
- Seller writes name and address in own handwriting
- Daily report
- Copy of record to a police officer at 9:00 a.m.
- Holding period
- Fifteen days before exhibit, sale or disposal
- Minors
- Unlawful to buy from anyone under 18
- Hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays and pre-holidays until 11:00 p.m.
- Closed
- All day Sunday plus four named holidays
Summary
In the City of Watsonville, every secondhand dealer and junk dealer must keep an English-language register of each purchase and sale, send the Police Department a copy of the record at 9:00 a.m. on each day open, hold goods fifteen (15) days, and stay closed Sundays. Buying from anyone under eighteen (18) is unlawful.
5-19.02 Register required. ... Every person who engages in or carries on the business of secondhand dealer or junk dealer in the City shall keep a register in which he shall enter in the English language: (a) Every transaction in which any second-hand goods or junk is purchased, which entry shall include the name and address of the person selling the same, the date thereof, an accurate description of the property purchased, and the amount paid therefor; (b) An account of all sales made by him of second-hand goods or junk, giving an accurate description of the same, the date thereof, and the person to whom sold; and ... Every such person carrying on the business of secondhand dealer or junk dealer shall cause every person from whom such dealer receives any second-hand goods or junk to write his name and address in such register in the handwriting of the person from whom such second-hand goods or junk is received.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 19 of Title 5 of the Watsonville Municipal Code, Second-Hand and Junk Dealers, regulates the trade through a register, police inspection, daily reporting, a holding period and set hours. Section 5-19.02 requires every person engaged in the business of secondhand dealer or junk dealer in the City to keep a register in English. It must record every purchase with the seller's name and address, the date, an accurate description of the property and the amount paid, every sale with the description, date and buyer, and every commission or agency transaction with the date, source and description. The dealer must also have each seller write his or her own name and address in the register in the seller's own handwriting.
The register is open for inspection by the Police Department at any time during business hours, and the Police Department can thoroughly inspect the premises at any time in search of lost or stolen property or to compare entries with articles on site; persons in charge must render assistance (§ 5-19.03). Under § 5-19.04 the person in charge must, on each day the place is open, furnish to a City police officer at 9:00 a.m. a legible and complete copy of the record on forms furnished by the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police files the reports permanently in the Police Department, open only to the Department or on court order.
Section 5-19.05 makes it unlawful to purchase or receive secondhand goods or junk from anyone under eighteen (18). Section 5-19.06 holds every article purchased, exchanged, pledged, pawned or otherwise taken into possession for fifteen (15) days before it is exhibited, sold, exchanged, removed, delivered or disposed of, though an article can be returned at any time to its true owner or authorized agent. Section 5-19.07 limits business to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., extended to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays and days preceding holidays, and requires closure all day Sunday and on January first, May thirtieth, July fourth and December twenty-fifth.
Violations & Fines
A violation of chapter 5-19 is an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $500 under § 1-2.01, and the offense becomes a misdemeanor if the person was convicted of a Code violation within the previous six (6) months. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and an administrative citation under § 1-2.109 can run up to $100 for a first citation. The Watsonville Police Department inspects registers and premises under § 5-19.03.
Frequently Asked Questions
What records must a secondhand dealer keep in Watsonville?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Watsonville
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