Renfrewshire Council

You need a second hand dealer's licence if you intend to sell:

• cars, caravans and other motor vehicles, or motor parts
• jewellery
• furniture or domestic appliances, and
• industrial or commercial plant and machinery.

There are certain activities which are exempt from the requirement to hold a second hand dealer's licence. For more information, contact the Civic Licensing Standards Officer.

How to apply for a licence

We now accept second hand dealer's licence applications online, including the use of electronic signatures.

You can apply, upload and sign for your supporting documents and pay for the licence online.

Apply online for a second hand dealer's licence

You can see the Council's policy on electronic licensing applications in Appendix 1 of the report to  the Regulatory Functions Board meeting on 15 September 2022.

What you need to do after you've applied

Applicants must display a public notice at the proposed premises as soon as the application has been lodged. The display notice must be displayed for a period of 21 days together with a copy of the application.

At the end of the 21 day period you must sign and return a certificate of compliance to confirm that you have displayed the notice for the statutory period. 

See the second hand dealer's licence application pack [478KB] for information about the Display Notice and Certificate of compliance.

How much it costs

See the civic application fees page for second hand dealer licence fees.

How long your application will take

All applications made under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 must be considered within 3 months and a decision made within 9 months.

Who is consulted about your application

A copy of your application will be sent to Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Community Resources Section and Development and Housing Services. They will carry out their own investigations and report back to the licensing section.

If there are objections or representations to my application

If an objection or representation is received the application must be considered at a meeting of the Regulatory Functions Board. You will be formally cited to attend the meeting and a copy of the letter of objection or representation will be sent out to you with the citation letter.

Conditions of the licence

See the second hand dealer's licence application pack [478KB] for guidance on the conditions of the licence.

A copy of the conditions of licence for second hand dealers licence will be issued to you if your licence is granted. The council requires all licenceholders to have a thorough understanding of these conditions and they should be kept as they form part of your licence.

How long the licence lasts for

Applications for the grant of a licence are generally granted for a period of one year. Applications to renew an existing licence are normally granted for a two year period.