Wyandotte County, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License scope
- Per location, from license department
- Required bond
- $2,000
- Register entry deadline
- Within 1 hour of purchase
- Police report deadline
- Daily, before 12:00 p.m.
- Resale hold
- 30 days minimum
- Out-of-city shipment notice
- 24 hours to police chief
- Display requirement
- Fully enclosed in a building
Summary
Every secondhand or junk dealer location in the Unified Government needs its own license from the license department, backed by a $2,000 bond, plus a daily register of purchases reported to the chief of police. Purchased goods cannot be resold for 30 days, and merchandise must be displayed inside an enclosed building.
A license is required of every secondhand dealer and junk dealer for each place where such business is transacted, and it shall be unlawful for any person to act as secondhand dealer or junk dealer at a place other than specified in such license. Application may be made to the license department.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 36, Article IV requires a license for every secondhand dealer and junk dealer at each place of business, and it is unlawful to operate at a location other than the one specified in the license; applications go through the license department (Sec. 36-195). Before issuing a license, the chief of police investigates the applicant's character and integrity, and any ground for revocation under Sec. 36-198 is also grounds to deny the license (Sec. 36-196). Every applicant must post a $2,000 bond conditioned on faithfully observing the ordinances and paying any resulting costs, fines, penalties, or damages, including damages for wrongfully purchasing stolen or minors' property (Sec.
36-197). Dealers must keep an ink register recording, within one hour of each purchase, a minute description of the property, its identifying numbers, and the seller's name, age, and address, and must deliver a daily copy to the chief of police before noon; the register stays open to inspection by law enforcement, the county attorney, or the unified government's chief counsel (Sec. 36-159). Dealers may not knowingly buy from minors, buy stolen property, or buy anything they suspect cannot be lawfully sold (Sec. 36-160), and anything purchased or received cannot be resold for at least 30 days (Sec.
36-161). Shipping goods out of the city requires 24 hours' advance notice to the chief of police, including consignee and destination, so the goods can be inspected first (Sec. 36-162). Secondhand merchandise on display must be completely enclosed in a building (Sec. 36-163). Dealers who deal solely in secondhand furniture, carpets, and utensils are exempt from the article except for the display rule, and regulated scrap metal and scrap metal dealers are separately exempt from this article entirely (Secs. 36-155, 36-164). A dealer's shop, records, and merchandise are open to inspection by any police officer at any time (Sec. 36-156), and no one may live on the licensed premises (Sec. 36-158).
Violations & Fines
Sec. 36-198 lets the license administrator revoke a secondhand or junk dealer's license if the dealer or an employee is convicted, in the conduct of the business, of violating this article or any state statute. Operating at an unlicensed location, selling goods before the 30-day hold expires, buying from a minor, or shipping goods out of the city without 24 hours' notice to the chief of police are each independently prohibited acts under the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do secondhand dealers in Kansas City, KS need a separate license per store?
How long must a Kansas City, KS secondhand dealer hold an item before reselling it?
What bond does a secondhand or junk dealer have to post?
Are scrap metal dealers covered by this licensing article?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wyandotte County
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