Utah County, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Business hours
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Sundays
- Extended hours
- until 11 p.m. Saturdays and Dec. 16-31
- Records
- bound ink ledger, no erasures
- Inspection
- open anytime to any peace officer
- Statement of origin retained
- 5 years
- False origin statement
- class B misdemeanor
Summary
Secondhand, junk, and precious-metal dealers in unincorporated Utah County must log every transaction in a bound ink ledger and can only trade between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., never on Sunday, with a later 11 p.m. closing allowed on Saturdays and in December.
"Junk dealer" means any person who engages in buying or selling old metals, glass, rags, rubber, paper, or other junk from a fixed place of business. ... "Secondhand dealer" means any person who keeps a store, office or place of business for the purchase, barter, or exchange or sale of any secondhand merchandise of value, or who engages in the business of dealing in secondhand goods. For the purpose of this chapter, a secondhand dealer shall not be meant to include any person who deals in the purchase, barter, exchange or sale of used motor vehicles and trailers. ... It shall be unlawful for any pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, secondhand precious metal dealer, junk dealer, or junk collector to open the person's place of business for trade before the hours of 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. or on Sunday. Provided, however, that on Saturday of each week, and on days preceding legal holidays, and the last fifteen (15) days of December of each year, it shall be lawful for these dealers to keep their businesses open until 11:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
06 regulates four overlapping trades under one set of rules: junk collectors who go door to door buying scrap without a fixed location, junk dealers who buy and sell old metal, glass, rags or paper from a fixed place of business, secondhand dealers who buy, sell or trade secondhand merchandise generally, and secondhand precious metal dealers who deal in old gold, silver or platinum. The definition of secondhand dealer specifically carves out used motor vehicle and trailer dealers, who are regulated elsewhere. 040 keeps the book and the premises open to inspection by any peace officer at all times.
m. 050 requires dealers buying copper wire, metal, or junk to obtain and keep, for five years, a signed statement of where the item came from.
Violations & Fines
Falsifying the required statement of origin for junk or metal purchases is a class B misdemeanor under 4.06.050. Violating the record-keeping or business-hours requirements themselves falls under the county's general penalty at 1.04.010, which treats an act declared unlawful as punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can a secondhand or junk dealer operate in unincorporated Utah County?
What records must a secondhand dealer keep on every purchase?
Does this chapter cover used car dealers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Utah County
Compare Utah County to another location·View the Utah business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.