Sec. 44A-7. Inspection by police; release of stolen property.
Montgomery County, Md., Code § 44A-7 (2026)
Sec. 44A-7. Inspection by police; release of stolen property.LinkCopy Citation
(a)
A dealer must permit the Police to:
(1)
examine the records required by this Chapter;
(2)
examine any personal property purchased, received, or stored at the business location; and
(3)
require retention for an additional 30 days after the storage retention period under Section 44A-4, of any property which the police know or believe to be missing or stolen.
(b)
A dealer must release to the Police an item of secondhand personal property, other than a security or printed evidence of indebtedness, located at the dealer’s place of business if:
(1)
the Police have reasonable cause to believe that the item was stolen;
(2)
the owner of the item or victim of the theft has positively identified the item;
(3)
the owner of the item or the owner’s agent or designee has provided an affidavit of ownership;
(4)
the stolen property report describes the item by:
(i)
a date;
(ii)
initials it bears;
(iii)
an insurance record;
(iv)
a photograph;
(v)
a sales receipt;
(vi)
a serial number;
(vii)
specific damage;
(viii)
the facts that show that the item is one of a kind; or
(ix)
a unique engraving; or
(5)
the property is involved in an on-going criminal or administrative proceeding where violations of this Chapter have occurred.
(c)
The Police must give the dealer a receipt for each item of secondhand personal property released to the Police pursuant to subsection (b). The receipt must:
(1)
describe the item; and
(2)
notify the dealer of the right to request a statement of charges against the individual who sold or gave the item to the dealer for theft under State law.