York County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Section 14-30(b)(2) defines a 'dealer in secondhand goods' as anyone in the business of buying or selling secondhand or used articles, expressly naming junk dealers, antique dealers, and dealers in secondhand clothing, furniture and appliances, while excluding people who only sell at licensed antique, arts-and-crafts or collectors shows. Section 14-30(a) requires that dealer to hold a license from the commissioner of revenue before operating in the county. The application under subsection (c) must include the applicant's name, address, date of birth, fingerprints and photograph, a certificate showing the business location is properly zoned for the use, and disclosure of any criminal convictions or pending charges.

Subsection (e) sets the license term at two years with a $100 fee for issuance and renewal, non-transferable. Every dealer must keep an accurate record of each transaction, covering the item's description and serial number, the price paid, and the seller's identification, and must file that record as a daily report with the sheriff by noon the following day under subsection (k). Subsection (o)(2) then bars the dealer from selling, altering or disposing of any acquired item for a minimum of 10 calendar days from the date the sheriff receives that report, and subsections (n) and (m) bar buying from sellers under 18 and require the dealer to admit law-enforcement officers to inspect records or take custody of suspected stolen goods.