§ 47–2808. Auctioneers; temporary licenses; penalty for failure to account.

(a) Auctioneers shall pay a license fee of $222 per annum.

(b) The Mayor may issue a temporary auctioneer license to a person, firm, partnership, association, organization, or corporation engaged in or existing for charitable, benevolent, eleemosynary, humane, religious, philanthropic, recreational, social, educational, civic, fraternal, or other nonprofit purpose and to a citizen-service program established pursuant to [§ 1-1163.38]. The fee for a temporary auctioneer license shall be $50. A temporary auctioneer license shall be valid for a period of not more than 7 calendar days as specified on the face of the license. The Mayor may amend the fee to be charged for a temporary auctioneer license to an amount not to exceed the reasonably estimated cost of performing administrative duties pertaining to the issuance of this license in accordance with the provisions of subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2.

(c) No license shall issue hereunder without the approval of the Chief of Police. If any licensed auctioneer or any holder of a temporary auctioneer license, his agent or employee, shall convert to his own use in the District of Columbia any goods, wares, merchandise, or personal property of any description, or the proceeds of the same, and shall fail to pay over the avails or proceeds from the sale thereof, less his proper charges, within 5 days after receiving the money or its equivalent from the purchaser or purchasers of said goods, wares, merchandise, or personal property of any description, and after demand made therefor by the person entitled to receive the same, or his or her duly authorized agent, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon information and conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01] or be imprisoned not exceeding 6 months, or both, in the discretion of the court. Civil fines, penalties, and fees may be imposed as alternative sanctions for any infraction of the provisions of this section, or any rules or regulations issued under the authority of this section, pursuant to Chapter 18 of Title 2. Adjudication of any infraction of this chapter shall be pursuant to Chapter 18 of Title 2. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to repeal or alter the provisions of subchapter I of Chapter 27 of this title.

(d) Any permit issued pursuant to this section shall be issued as an Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a basic business license under the basic business license system as set forth in subchapter I-A of this chapter.

(July 1, 1902, 32 Stat. 623, ch. 1352, § 7, par. 9; July 1, 1932, 47 Stat. 552, ch. 366; Apr. 1, 1942, 56 Stat. 190, ch. 207, § 1; July 8, 1963, 77 Stat. 77, Pub. L. 88-60, § 1; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 570, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 155(a); Sept. 14, 1976, D.C. Law 1-82, title I, § 104(c), 23 DCR 2461; Oct. 5, 1985, D.C. Law 6-42, § 469(a), 32 DCR 4450; Feb. 24, 1987, D.C. Law 6-181, § 2, 33 DCR 7664; enacted, Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-254, § 2, 44 DCR 1575; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2003(pp)(7), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-38, § 3(hh)(4)(A), 50 DCR 6913; Apr. 27, 2012, D.C. Law 19-124, § 501(n)(2), 59 DCR 1862; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 286(q), 60 DCR 2064; Mar. 22, 2023, D.C. Law 24-333, § 5(b), 70 DCR 1524.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 47-2808.

1973 Ed., § 47-2309.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 15-38, in subsec. (d), substituted “an Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a basic business license under the basic” for “a Class A Inspected Sales and Services endorsement to a master business license under the master”.

D.C. Law 19-124, in subsec. (b), substituted “[§ 1-1163.38]” for “§ 1-1104.03”.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01]” for “not more than $1,000” in (c).

Cross References

Mayor, Council and other offices, application of certain sections to boards, commissions and committees, see § 1-321.02.

Applicability

Section 7286 of D.C. Law 25-217 amended section 9 of D.C. Law 24-333 making the repeal of this section by section 5(b) of D.C. Law 24-333 applicable as of October 1, 2025.

Applicability of D.C. Law 24-333: § 9 of D.C. Law 24-333 provided that the repeal of this section by § 5(b) of D.C. Law 24-333 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(hh)(4)(A) of Streamlining Regulation Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-145, August 11, 2003, 50 DCR 6896).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 401(n)(2) of Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Establishment and Comprehensive Ethics Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-298, January 29, 2012, 59 DCR 683).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 286(q) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Editor's Notes

Office of Major and Superintendent of Metropolitan Police abolished: The Office of the Major and Superintendent of Metropolitan Police was abolished and all functions of that office transferred to and vested in the Chief of Police. The Assistant Superintendent, Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Police Department was designated “Deputy Chief of Police, Executive Officer”; the Assistant Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police in command of the Detective Bureau was designated “Deputy Chief of Police, Chief of Detectives”; and each other Assistant Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police was designated “Deputy Chief of Police” by Reorganization Order No. 7, dated September 16, 1952. Reorganization Order No. 7 was replaced by Organization Order No. 153, dated November 10, 1966.

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.