Business License

Yamhill County only provides business licenses to junk dealers, secondhand dealers, pawnbrokers, peddlers or itinerant merchants operating businesses or attempting to operate a business in the county outside the incorporated cities and towns per Yamhill County Ordinance 372.   If you are interested in operating a business within the city limits of a city located in Yamhill County, please contact the appropriate City for more information about its business license requirements.

The ordinance provides that no person shall conduct or operate an affected business or advertise or otherwise hold out that they are conducting or operating an affected business without first obtaining a Yamhill County business license. A license shall be obtained for each kind of affected business. "Affected business" means a business run by a junk dealer, secondhand peddler or an itinerant merchant. 

Exclusions to Ordinance 372

• Regularly organized and supervised school district activities or programs that take place on school property.
• Regularly organized and supervised church activities or programs that take place on church property.
• Regularly organized and supervised fund-raising activity or program of a not-for-profit corporation recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service.

Application Process

Business licenses are valid for one year, expiring December 31 of each year.

Complete and submit a Business License Application (PDF) along with the appropriate fee to the Yamhill County Clerk. The County Clerk may refer the completed application to such county officers, as the Clerk deems appropriate. The county officers to whom the application is referred have five (5) days in which to make a report thereon to the County Clerk. If it appears to the Clerk that the applicant has complied with the ordinance, and if no adverse reports are received within five (5) days, in cases where the Clerk makes such a referral, the Clerk shall issue the license.

Peddlers and itinerant merchants must also provide a list of the names and addresses of all persons employed by the peddler or itinerant merchant for work in the County. The Clerk shall be promptly notified of any changes to the list during the license year. 

Application Fee 

(rate increase effective 7/1/25)

• Peddler, Itinerant Merchant - $25.00 per year
• Pawnbroker, Secondhand Dealer and Junk Dealer - $25.00 per year
• Identification Certificates - $5.00 each

Annual licenses expire on the last day of the calendar year shown on the license.

General Provisions

• A change of business location requires a written notice within ten (10) days to the County Clerk
• A change of ownership requires a new application
• NO - Unsightly accumulation or spread of litter
• NO - Excessive noise, smoke or odor
• NO - Disorder on the premises
• NO - Traffic hazards

*Please review the complete Yamhill County Business License Ordinance 372 (PDF) for additional provisions, definitions and penalties.