Manatee County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Regulated goods
- jewelry, electronics, household appliances
- Holding period
- 30 days from Sheriff's Office receipt
- Cash cap
- $300 per day, above that pay by check
- Record retention
- 1 year on-site, 5 years total
- Excludes
- metals recyclers and pawnbrokers
Summary
Manatee County requires secondhand dealers buying regulated goods, jewelry, electronics, and household appliances, to record every seller's ID and hold the item 30 days before resale, under Code Article VIII, Sec. 2-19-100 to 2-19-108.
(2)A secondhand dealer shall not sell, barter, exchange, alter, adulterate, use, or in any way dispose of any regulated secondhand good received as part of a transaction for a period of thirty (30) calendar days from the date the transaction record was received by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.(3)Upon the expiration of the holding period, the secondhand dealer shall notify, in writing, the appropriate law enforcement official by certified mail, return receipt requested, that the holding period has expired. If, on the tenth (10 th ) day after written notice has been received by the appropriate law enforcement official and the secondhand dealer has not received a court ordered extension of the hold period on the property, then title to the property shall vest in and be deemed conveyed by operation of law to the secondhand dealer, free of any liability for claims, but subject to the provisions of this section. (Ord. No. 14-12, § 1, 2-25-14; Ord. No. 18-26, § 3, 4-24-18)
Sec. 2-19-107. - Method of payment. A secondhand dealer shall not enter into any singular or aggregate cash transaction(s) where the total amount paid for regulated secondhand goods from a seller in a single day exceeds three hundred dollars ($300.00). Payment for such transaction shall be made by check made payable to the seller.
(Ord. No. 14-12, § 1, 2-25-14)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124 | Land Development Code: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Manatee County Code Chapter 2-19, Article VIII regulates secondhand dealers who buy, consign, or trade 'regulated secondhand goods,' a term Sec. 2-19-104 limits to jewelry, electronic devices, and household appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, washers, and window air conditioners. The article explicitly excludes secondary metals recyclers and pawnbrokers, who are regulated under Article III of the same chapter instead, and it exempts internet consignment businesses and video/game resale shops that meet their own recordkeeping conditions. Sec. 2-19-105 requires a dealer to complete a transaction form for every purchase in the seller's presence, offer the seller a copy, and collect a color digital image of the seller's ID, a photo of the seller, and a photo of each item; the dealer keeps the signed original on-site for a year and a copy for five years.
Sec. 2-19-106 imposes a mandatory 30-day holding period from the date the Manatee County Sheriff's Office receives the transaction record, during which the dealer must keep the item on the registered premises and cannot sell, alter, or dispose of it; only after that period, and ten days' written notice to law enforcement without a court-ordered extension, does title vest in the dealer. Sec. 2-19-107 bars any single-day cash transaction over $300 for regulated secondhand goods; anything above that must be paid by check to the seller.
A dealer that refuses to photograph a seller or an item, or that accepts goods from a seller who won't produce ID, is violating the article outright under Sec. 2-19-105(4).
Violations & Fines
Sec. 2-19-108 lets a law enforcement or code enforcement officer cite each day of noncompliance, including each undocumented transaction, as a separate offense under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, and knowing violations are punished the same as a misdemeanor. A dealer who knowingly fails to keep the required records is presumed to know any resulting property was stolen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pawn shop use this ordinance instead of Article III?
How long must a secondhand dealer hold a purchased item before reselling it?
Is there a cash limit on buying secondhand jewelry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manatee County
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