Yuba City, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration
- Register with the Yuba City Police Chief
- Fee
- Annual fee set under Sec. 3-8.4
- Records
- English record book kept at place of business (Sec. 5-9.04)
- Inspection
- Book open to police at all times (Sec. 5-9.05)
- Minors/intoxicated sellers
- Barred without written parental consent (Sec. 5-9.02)
- Property hold
- 10-day retention before resale (Sec. 5-9.03)
Summary
Yuba City Municipal Code Chapter 9 treats junk dealers and secondhand-goods dealers as one regulated class alongside pawnbrokers. Sec. 5-9.04 requires an English-language record book for every purchase, and Sec. 5-9.06 requires annual registration with the Police Chief and payment of the fee set in Section 3-8.4, before a secondhand or junk dealer can lawfully buy from the public.
Every person engaged in carrying on the business of pawnbroker, junk dealer, or dealer in secondhand goods, wares, and merchandise shall keep at his or her place of business a record book in which, at the time of purchases of such goods, shall be entered in the English language by such person carrying on such business a description sufficient for identification of all property so purchased, the price paid therefor by such person carrying on such business, and the signature of the person selling the same. ... (a)Required. Every person engaged in carrying on the business of pawnbroker, junk dealer or secondhand goods, wares and merchandise shall be registered with the Police Chief.(b)Fees. An annual fee shall be charged by the Police Chief for each registration or renewal.
Full Breakdown
A "dealer in secondhand goods" or "junk dealer" under Chapter 9 is regulated the same way as a pawnbroker for recordkeeping, registration, and who they may buy from. Sec. 04 requires every such dealer to keep a record book at the place of business, entered in English at the time of purchase, describing each item purchased well enough to identify it, the price paid, and the seller's own signature; furniture purchases are exempt from the full description requirement under Sec. 02 but not from the record book itself.
Sec. 05 keeps that book open to inspection by any sheriff, police officer, or peace officer at all times, with the goods themselves shown on demand. Sec. 02 bars buying from anyone who appears intoxicated or from a minor unless the minor's parent or guardian signs a written consent for that transaction, which must be kept on file as long as the goods remain in the dealer's possession. Sec. 03 requires the seller's handwritten signature and a ten-day hold on purchased property before resale. Sec.
4 of the Code, a duty added by Ordinance 1022 in 1987 and amended by Ordinance 26-92 in 1992. None of this reaches routine garage sales or a resident selling personal belongings; it applies to a person "carrying on the business" of buying secondhand goods.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9 does not appear on the misdemeanor list in Sec. 1-2.03, so a secondhand or junk dealer who buys without registering, skips the record book, or purchases from an intoxicated person or unaccompanied minor commits an infraction under Sec. 1-2.02: a fine up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year, and up to $500 for each further violation within that year, with each continuing day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a secondhand or junk dealer need a permit in Yuba City?
What records must a Yuba City secondhand dealer keep?
Can a junk dealer buy from a minor in Yuba City?
Does a garage sale need to register as a secondhand dealer in Yuba City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuba City
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