Business Licensing & Operations in Clackamas County, OR (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Clackamas County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Secondhand Dealers
Anyone buying and reselling used goods in unincorporated Clackamas County, from resale shops to used electronics dealers, needs a Secondhand Dealer's Permit from the Sheriff's Office before opening. Advertising or holding yourself out as buying regulated property is enough to trigger the requirement. Permits run one year, cover a single fixed location, and require a notarized application, fee, and background check.
Secondhand Dealer Permits in Clackamas County
Significant RestrictionsClackamas County Code 8.03.030(A)-(B)
No person shall act as a Secondhand Dealer in Clackamas County without a valid Secondhand Dealer's Permit issued by the Sheriff's Office. Any person or business that advertises or otherwise holds themself out to be acquiring or offering for sale regulated property within Clackamas County will be presumed to be operating as a Secondhand Dealer subject to the terms of this chapter.
Pawnbrokers
Pawnbrokers in unincorporated Clackamas County operate under state law first: Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 726 sets the license itself. The county code layers on its own theft-prevention rules, requiring pawnbrokers to follow the same reporting, hold-period, tagging, and nuisance-abatement sections that apply to Secondhand Dealers, even if the pawnbroker never registers as one.
Pawnbroker Rules in Clackamas County
Significant RestrictionsClackamas County Code 8.03.020(J), 8.03.030(C)
PAWNBROKER has the meaning set forth in ORS 726.010 (2) and includes any business required by ORS 726.040 to hold an Oregon Pawnbroker's license. ... Any Pawnbroker operating within Clackamas County shall be required to maintain a valid license pursuant to the Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 726. If any Pawnbroker also acts as a Secondhand Dealer, that Pawnbroker shall be required to obtain a S...
Towing Companies
Clackamas County Sheriff's deputies can tow a vehicle off county roads or county property without any advance warning under 18 specific circumstances in County Code Section 7.01.080, from three unpaid parking citations to a suspected stolen vehicle. Owners get certified-mail notice within 48 hours, and every impounded vehicle is inventoried before it goes to a storage yard.
Non-Consent Vehicle Towing Rules in Clackamas County
Significant RestrictionsClackamas County Code § 7.01.080
The Sheriff may, without prior notice, order a vehicle towed when: A. Three or more parking citations have been issued for violations of sections 7.01.020 or 6.06.11, which have not been paid or contested within the time allowed by law; ... C. The vehicle registration as indicated by registration stickers or registration card has been expired for 90 days or more, the vehicle is required to be r...
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