Permits
The Sheriff's Office handles Secondhand Building Fixtures Permits Solicitor's Permits. Visit the Permits, Applications, and Licenses page for other permits.
Secondhand Building Fixtures Permits
Anyone selling or acquiring secondhand building fixtures must obtain a permit.
Secondhand building fixtures include heating or plumbing fixtures or supplies, electric fixtures
or any wiring, gas fixtures or appliances, water faucets, pipes, locks, bathtubs, gutters, downspouts or any other secondhand fixture pertaining to a building or structure.
If the material is a metallic fixture or object that is physically
attached to a building or structure and not simply plugged into an electrical outlet, it is considered a secondhand building fixture.
The following are not considered secondhand building fixtures
- Metal cans
- Vehicle parts
- Electric appliances such as refrigerators, stoves and washing machines
- Window air conditioning units
- Metal furniture
- Batteries
- Tools
- Lawn mowers
Who needs a permit?
Two separate types of permits may be required for selling or obtaining secondhand building fixtures.
The Transaction Form is required for "non-exempt persons, businesses
or entities who sell, buy or obtain (even if free, "picked" or found) secondhand building fixtures." This form is required for persons who may occasionally sell secondhand building fixtures that do not exceed 600 pounds of material or 26 transactions
annually. This form may be picked up at the Sheriff's Office.
Please remember that this form must be filled out each time you take material to the scrapyard.
You will not be required to obtain this permit if you fall under the
exemptions listed below (Reference Virginia Code 59.1-123).
Permit exemptions
- The sale of secondhand material mentioned in § 59.1-117 taken from premises occupied by the owner, when sold by such owner on the premises,
or the sale of such articles when purchased from a public utility corporation at its place of business or a governmental agency;
- Scrap metal processor (see definition below) as provided in Article 4 (§ 59.1-136.1 et seq.);
- Authorized scrap sellers (see definition below);
- Public utilities;
- Public transportation companies;
- Industrial and manufacturing companies;
- Marine, automobile and aircraft salvage and wrecking companies;
- Governmental entities; and
- Peddlers (referred to in the Code as "dealers" or "junk dealers") permitted under § 59.1-118.
If you are classified as a peddler, "dealer" or "junk dealer," you will need to obtain a secondhand building material dealer permit.
Secondhand building material dealer permit
To become a junk dealer you must apply for an annual
permit with the Sheriff's Office. Persons who regularly sell secondhand building fixtures that total over 600 pounds of material or 26 transactions annually are considered junk dealers.
Even though junk dealers are exempted from obtaining
a permit for the individual sale or acquisition of secondhand building fixtures/materials, they are still required by law to keep a detailed record of their transactions.
To obtain a junk dealer permit, fill out the dealer permit application
and turn into the Sheriff's Office. The applicant will then be given a permit number. Junk dealers must report any transactions to the Sheriff's Office on each Friday by 5 p.m.
The junk dealer permit application and reporting forms are
available below or may be picked up at the Sheriff's Office.
Definitions
Junk dealer: A person who regularly engages in purchasing, acquiring or canvassing secondhand building material, including all nonferrous scrap metal, proprietary articles or both, for resale and has conducted transactions involving,
or has offered for sale, more than 600 pounds combined weight of secondhand building material or enters into more than 26 combined transactions annually. § 59.1-116.1
Authorized scrap seller: Any licensed plumber, electrical contractor, HVAC contractor, or building and construction contractor. § 59.1-116.1
Scrap metal processor: Any person who is engaged in processing motor vehicles into scrap for remelting purposes who, from a fixed location, utilizes machinery and equipment for processing and manufacturing ferrous and nonferrous
metallic scrap into prepared grades, and whose principal product is metallic scrap. § 46.2-1200
Solicitor's Permits
Applicants for solicitor's permits are required to complete a registration form, which includes a background consent/release form. Forms may be completed online (with the option to print the document and/or email a copy to themselves) or in-person at the Sheriff's Office.
After completing the form, payment of $30 to cover the costs of the investigation of the applicant and process of the application shall be paid to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. This payment must be received in person at the Sheriff's Office,
located at 1 East Main St., Christiansburg, VA 24073. This payment is not refundable under any circumstances, including denials.
Processing of the application will not take place until payment is received.
Note: results from background checks will take several weeks.