CaliforniaCalifornia requires more secondhand businesses to report covered goods
Businesses that deal in secondhand goods as part of their work must follow state rules, hold a state license, and report covered items to the Department of Justice system.
What it does
Businesses that deal in secondhand goods, even as a sideline, must follow state rules and report covered items they acquire. Coin dealers and some donated goods are excluded.
A city, county, or state agency cannot license or permit a secondhand dealer unless the business has a California state license.
The law removes a definition that set a theft-data threshold for a “significant class of stolen goods.” This may widen reporting, but the text does not establish exactly which goods would newly be covered.
Argument forReporting more dealers’ covered purchases could give law enforcement more information to help trace and recover stolen goods.
Argument againstNewly covered businesses may face extra reporting work, and mistakes could expose them to criminal penalties.
More detail
Businesses whose work includes dealing in secondhand goods must follow state dealer rules, including reporting covered items to the Department of Justice system. This covers businesses that buy, sell, trade, take in pawn, accept for consignment or auction, or auction secondhand goods, even when this is not their main business. Coin dealers are no longer covered by these provisions. The rules do not apply to property acquired from a nonprofit or in a bulk purchase of donated items. Dealers must report covered acquisitions to the California Pawn and SecondhandDealer System (CAPSS), operated by the Department of Justice. The reporting rule has exceptions for certain property and transactions. Reports are due by the next business day after receipt or purchase, excluding weekends and holidays.
A city, county, or state agency may not issue a secondhand dealer license or permit unless the business has a California state license. This applies to any entity seeking permission to conduct business as a secondhand dealer.
The law removes the definition of “significant class of stolen goods,” which may widen the kinds of property covered by the reporting rules. This concerns property identified through Department of Justice crime data for secondhand dealer reporting. The bill text still refers to property the Attorney General determines is a significant class of stolen goods; the supplied text does not establish exactly how removing the definition changes which items are covered.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 631, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 31
- Vote recorded AB 2633 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6883.).Major
- Aug 28In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2633 Gipson et al. By Archuleta. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 19Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 19From special consent calendar.
- Aug 18Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Jun 29In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 15From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 11From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Major
- Jun 10Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Minor
- May 27In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2633 Gipson Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 5388.)Passed Assembly
- May 19Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 18Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- May 14From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 7From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 19. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 7Coauthors revised.
- Mar 9Referred to Com. on B. & P.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Feb 20Read first time. To print.Introduced
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