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If you resell secondhand items from sellers who are not licensed dealers, the Anti-Fencing Law requires a police clearance before you offer them. If you sell online, platforms must check your ID first and BIR wants your Certificate of Registration on file. Many owners miss that an item with no receipt is presumed to come from an unlicensed source.[1,2,3]
Before you buy your first stock
- Decide if you will buy from licensed dealers only or also from private sellers.
- Print a simple purchase form with seller name, ID number, item and serial number.
- Ask your police station about the clearance process for secondhand items.
- Register with BIR and keep copies of your Certificate of Registration.
- Upload your ID or business papers to each platform before listing.
Secondhand goods and the Anti-Fencing Law
PD 1612 Sec. 6 says stores in the buy and sell of articles from unlicensed dealers must get a police clearance or permit before offering them for sale. Under its rules, an item with no receipt, or with a fake one, is presumed to come from an unlicensed dealer, so a clearance is needed. Each branch that buys secondhand items for sale secures its own clearance.[1]
When the station commander requires it, dealers submit an initial affidavit within 30 days of notice and more affidavits every 15 days, listing inventory, sources and articles for sale.[1]
The rules still name the old INP and Constabulary, so ask your police station for the current PNP procedure and fee.
Receipts are your best protection
Ask every seller for a receipt or a signed deed of sale with their name, address, ID number and the item's serial number, and photograph their ID. A clean paper trail is what separates a reseller from a fence.
Selling online
Under the Internet Transactions Act, e-marketplaces must require merchants to submit their name with a valid government ID, or business registration documents for companies, before listing.[2]
Under RR 16-2023, online sellers must register with BIR and give their Certificate of Registration to the e-marketplace and to digital payment providers before using them.[3]
More in the BIR guide for online sellers.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a police clearance to sell used items?
- If the items come from an unlicensed dealer or supplier, PD 1612 requires a police clearance or permit before you offer them. Items without a valid receipt are presumed to come from such a source.
- I have two stalls. Is one clearance enough?
- No. Under the Anti-Fencing rules, each branch that acquires secondhand articles for sale secures its own clearance.
- What does Shopee or Lazada need before I can list?
- Your name and a valid government ID, or business registration documents if you are a company, plus your address and contact details.
- Do I need special permits for certain products?
- Some goods, like health products or firearms, have their own agency rules. We did not research those here, so check each product line first.
Sources
Checked 13 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- Presidential Decree No. 1612 (Anti-Fencing Law of 1979) and its implementing rules · Office of the President (via Lawphil) · 2 March 1979
- Republic Act No. 11967 (Internet Transactions Act of 2023) · Congress of the Philippines (via Lawphil) · 5 December 2023
- BIR: Online sellers must now pay withholding tax · Philippine Daily Inquirer · 17 July 2024
The extra permits, in one table
| Permit or registration | Agency | When it applies | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearance/permit to sell used secondhand articles[1] | PNP (formerly INP) station commander | if selling articles obtained from an unlicensed dealer/supplier (incl. any article without a valid receipt) | Not published |
| Articles without a valid receipt are presumed from an unlicensed source (clearance needed)[1] | PNP | if no receipt or equivalent document proves lawful acquisition | Not published |
| Separate clearance per branch[1] | PNP | if a branch acquires secondhand articles for sale | Not published |
| Inventory affidavits (initial within 30 days of notice, then every 15 days)[1] | PNP | dealers holding used secondhand articles, when required by the station commander | Not published |
| BIR registration; give Certificate of Registration to the e-marketplace…[3] | BIR (RR 16-2023) | if selling through e-marketplaces or collecting via DFSPs | Not published |
Rules and exemptions
Selling rules that apply
- Submit name + valid ID or business registration documents, address…[2]