Yakima, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required after
- more than 2 sales/year or 4+ consecutive days
- License term
- one year
- Consigned property hold
- 30 days before disposal
- Daily transaction report due
- before noon, on police chief's request
- Buyer age restriction
- no purchases from persons under 18
- Criminal penalty
- gross misdemeanor
- Revocation grounds
- chapter violation or larceny/stolen-property conviction
Summary
Anyone buying or reselling used personal property in Yakima more than twice a year, or running a resale event lasting over four days, must hold a secondhand dealer license. Revocation follows a city manager hearing, and violations are a gross misdemeanor.
No person shall engage in the business of a secondhand dealer in the city of Yakima without first procuring a license therefor, and in order to procure a license he or she shall present to the city an application which shall contain the name of the applicant, the place where he or she proposes to conduct business, the name under which the same shall be conducted... The license and fee required under this chapter are separate from and in addition to the business license required under Chapter 5.52 YMC, which may also be required when applicable.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
010 defines a secondhand dealer as anyone who buys or sells used tangible personal property and is not a licensed pawnbroker or junk dealer; a person who runs such a sale more than twice in any twelve-month period, or for more than four consecutive days, is deemed a secondhand dealer required to be licensed. 52 YMC. 040) and the city manager can revoke one for failing to comply with the chapter or for a licensee's conviction for larceny or for receiving/possessing stolen property, after a hearing with at least five days' written notice and a written notice of findings.
050): the seller's signature, date, name of the clerk, the seller's name, birth date, sex, height, weight, race, address, phone number and picture ID number, the address the goods came from, an itemized description with serial numbers, the price paid, and any contract number, open to inspection by the chief of police during business hours. 070). 080).
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 5.64, including the register, daily-report, thirty-day hold, or prohibited-purchase rules, is a gross misdemeanor under § 5.64.100, and the city or any individual may also pursue civil remedies. Separately, the city manager can revoke a dealer's license for chapter noncompliance or a qualifying larceny/stolen-property conviction after a notice-and-hearing process under § 5.64.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Yakima secondhand dealer license for a single garage sale?
What records must a Yakima secondhand dealer keep on each purchase?
How long must a Yakima secondhand dealer hold purchased or consigned property?
What happens if a Yakima secondhand dealer violates the licensing chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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