Westminster, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

52 or by state law, with a carve-out only for businesses already licensed under Business and Professions Code Section 21640 et seq. 010 defines a used merchandise dealer broadly as any person who buys, sells, trades, or accepts for sale on consignment secondhand property, expressly excluding secondhand or new car dealers and sellers of fruits, vegetables, or other perishable foodstuffs. 030 routes applications to the business license department, which refers every application to the chief of police for investigation. 040 requires the chief of police to fingerprint and photograph each applicant, charge the state-set fingerprint processing fee, and investigate whether the applicant has committed any act that would be grounds for permit revocation or has been convicted of a felony or any crime substantially related to the permitted business.

050 requires every pawnbroker, used merchandise dealer, and auctioneer to report all personal property purchased, taken in trade, taken in pawn, accepted on consignment, or accepted for auctioning to the chief of police no later than 12:00 noon of the day following acquisition. 060 lists narrow exceptions to that daily reporting duty, including property acquired from another already-reporting dealer in a documented stock transaction, bulk transfers tied to business dissolution, court-ordered or bankruptcy sales, and government surplus property, each requiring the dealer to retain supporting records for three years and make them available to law enforcement on request.