Business Licensing & Operations in Salem, OR (2026)
4 verified business licensing & operations rules for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Secondhand Dealers
Salem requires a city license before anyone operates as a dealer in used merchandise, a term that covers junk dealers, pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers. Licensees keep a full record of every article received, pledged or purchased, with seller identification and a thumb print, and report transactions to the Salem Police Chief. Buying prescription medications, gift cards or altered-serial property is a misdemeanor.
Salem Secondhand Dealer and Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 30.005, 30.200, 30.245
Dealer in used merchandise means a junk dealer, pawn broker, or secondhand dealer. ... (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, every dealer in used merchandise shall make and keep a full, true, and complete record of all articles received, pledged, or purchased. ... (8) If the dealer in used merchandise engages in 50 or more transactions in any calendar year, the right thumb p...
Pawnbrokers
Salem treats a pawnbroker as a dealer in used merchandise, the same class as junk dealers and secondhand dealers, under Salem Revised Code Chapter 30. Every transaction goes into a ten-item record that includes a right thumb print and a photo ID copy. Dealers with 50 or more transactions a year report electronically by the end of business each day, and purchased property is held 14 days after the Chief of Police receives the report.
Salem Pawnbroker and Used Merchandise Dealer Rules
Significant RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 30.005, 30.200, 30.205
Dealer in used merchandise means a junk dealer, pawn broker, or secondhand dealer. ... Pawnbroker means any person engaged in the business of loaning money to another person where personal security, pawns, or pledges are the condition of the loan; or the business of purchasing articles of personal property with the agreement to resell the articles to the vendors thereof, at prices agreed upon a...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Salem's UDC excludes automotive repair from home occupations entirely: Sec. 400.125(b)(3)(A) reclassifies 'automotive repair, body work, painting, and other motor vehicle services' as a stand-alone 'motor vehicle services' use, and the residential zone tables mark that use prohibited (N), so no permit or home-occupation approval lets a resident run a repair shop out of a house, garage, or driveway.
Salem Bars Home-Based Auto Repair
Heavy RestrictionsSalem Revised Code (UDC) § 400.125(b)
(b)Home occupations.(1)Characteristics. Home occupations are characterized by any business or professional activity conducted by a resident within a building used for household living, or within an accessory structure thereto, which is clearly accessory and subordinate to the residential use of the building and its premises. Home occupations maintain the essential residential character of the b...
Towing Companies
A Salem police officer may order your car towed from private property without your consent if you're arrested there or the officer reasonably believes you lack permission to park, under SRC 102.200. The City contracts with towing firms under a set maximum-charge schedule, and the tow company holds a lien on your vehicle until all charges are paid.
Salem Non-Consent Towing From Private Property
Significant RestrictionsSRC § 102.200
(a)In addition to any other authority a police officer has to tow vehicles, a police officer is authorized to order a motor vehicle towed if the driver of the vehicle is arrested, the vehicle is parked unattended on private property, and the officer reasonably believes the driver lacks permission to allow the vehicle to remain parked on the property...(c)The City may contract the services of on...
Looking for Marion County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Marion County →