Ventura County Municipal Code Art. 2 Collectors, Dealers and Brokers

No person either as a principal or agent shall engage in the business of junk collector without first obtaining a license therefor.

A junk collector is any person not having a fixed place of business in the County who goes from house to house or place to place collecting, buying, selling or otherwise dealing in junk such as old rags, bottles, cans, papers, metals, or machinery which has been discarded or scrapped and other similar things.

No person as a principal shall engage in the business of junk dealer without first obtaining a license therefor.

A junk dealer is any person having a fixed place of business in the County who engages in a business of buying, selling or dealing in, either at wholesale or retail, junk such as old rags, sacks, bottles, cans, paper, metal, or machinery which has been discarded or scrapped or other similar things.

No person as a principal shall engage in the business of second-hand dealer without first obtaining a license therefor.

A second-hand dealer is any person who, in the course of business, buys, sells, or deals in second-hand goods, wares or merchandise other than motor vehicles or junk. A person who accepts second-hand goods, wares or merchandise in part payment coincidentally with the sale by him of new goods, wares or merchandise in the regular course of his business shall not with the respect to such goods, wares and merchandise so acquired be deemed to be a second-hand dealer.

No person as a principal shall engage in the business of pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor.

A pawnbroker is any person who conducts or manages the business of loaning money upon personal property, pawns, or pledges, or who conducts or manages the business of purchasing articles of personal property or reselling or agreeing to resell such articles to the vendor or his assignee at prices agreed upon at or before the time of purchase.

Any person desiring to obtain a license required by sections 2321 through 2324 shall make a written application to the Sheriff therefor, stating in addition to the general information required by section 2113-2—the following information:

(a) The residence address of the applicant and the address of the place, if any, where such business is to be carried on.

(b) The name under which the business is to be transacted.

(c) The names and addresses of all owners of, and persons having an interest in the business.

If the Sheriff finds that the application provided for in section 2325 complies with all of the requirements of this Article, he shall approve the application.

When any license required by this Article is revoked after issuance, no new license shall be granted to such person to carry on or conduct such business within three months after the revocation.

The fee for obtaining a second-hand dealer's license or pawnbroker's license is $100.00 per year. The fee for obtaining all other licenses required by this Article is $50.00 per year.

(Am. Ord. 2449—4/27/71)

Every junk dealer, junk collector, pawnbroker, or second-hand dealer shall, on each day before the hour of 2 o'clock p.m. make out and deliver to the Sheriff on a blank form to be obtained by him from the office of the Sheriff for that purpose, a full, true and complete report of all goods, wares, and merchandise purchased or received during the day preceding the filing of such report.

The Sheriff shall file in his office, all reports received pursuant to the terms of this Article and the same shall be open to inspection by any peace officer or law enforcement officer within the County, or to other persons upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction. All such reports shall be retained by the Sheriff for a period of 3 years from the date upon which the same are filed.

The report shall contain such other information as the Sheriff may require.

The blank forms to be obtained from the office of the Sheriff shall be so printed and subdivided as to contain spaces with proper captions for the furnishing of the information required.

Every junk collector as defined in section 2321 shall deliver his report to the Sheriff before any articles purchased or received are removed from the County and such articles shall at such time be made available to inspection by the Sheriff or any of his deputies.

Every junk collector, junk dealer, pawnbroker, and second-hand dealer shall keep a complete record of all goods, wares, merchandise or things purchased or received by him, which record shall contain all of the matters required by him to be shown in the reports referred to and described in section 2329.

The record referred to in this section 2330 and all goods, wares, and merchandise purchased or received by any junk collector, junk dealer, pawnbroker, or second-hand dealer, shall be open for inspection, at all times during business hours, to any peace officer or law enforcement officer within the County.

It is unlawful for any person engaged in the business of junk collector, junk dealer, pawnbroker, or second-hand dealer, or for any agent or employee of any such person, to accept, purchase, or receive goods, wares, or merchandise, or any article or thing or in any manner whatsoever engage in or conduct any such business between the hours of 10 o'clock p.m. and 6 o'clock a.m.

Every junk dealer shall retain on his premises in a separate place designated for that purpose all metals purchased by him. The entire purchase of each day shall be kept in such designated separate place, and each day's purchase shall be kept in its original condition for a period of 72 hours after purchase or receipt.

It is unlawful for any junk collector, junk dealer, pawnbroker, or second-hand dealer to sell or dispose of any article or thing within 72 hours after such article or thing has been purchased or acquired by him, other than to a person holding a license under the provisions of this Article.

Section 2334 shall not apply to the disposition or sale of an article by a person who receives or purchases such article from one licensed under the provisions of this Article, who has made the required report to the Sheriff and who shall have held the articles for the length of time provided in section 2334.

Every junk dealer and second-hand dealer shall maintain on the premises where the business is located, a sign plainly printed in the English language of sufficient size so that the same may be easily read from the street in front of the place of business, stating that he is a junk dealer or second-hand dealer. Where the business is conducted in an office building, a sign shall be placed at the door to the office. Where the business is conducted in a department of any building, a sign shall be placed at the entrance to the department.

If any person shall engage in, or manage at the same time more than one of the businesses referred to in this Article, such person shall be deemed to be engaged in each such business separate and apart from the other such business, and such person shall comply in all respects with the provisions of this Article relating to each such business.

If any person shall engage in the business of junk dealer and second-hand dealer, or either of such businesses, at more than one location within the County, such person shall be deemed to be engaged in a separate and distinct business at each location, and such person shall comply in all respects with the provisions of this Article relating to the business carried on at each location.