Associates and eligibility
The Business Licensing Authority (BLA) considers your associates when assessing your eligibility to register as a second-hand dealer or pawnbroker.
Under the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1989, both individuals and companies can have associates.
Individuals
An associate of an individual or of a director of a company is defined in the Act as:
- a spouse or domestic partner (unless that person is not, never has been and will not in future be involved in any second-hand dealer or pawnbroker business), or
- a business partner of the person, or
- a participant in a business arrangement or relationship with the person in respect of the second-hand dealing or pawnbroking business.
Domestic partners
A domestic partner is a person who is in a registered relationship with you, or any an adult you are in a relationship with as a couple, where either of you provide personal or financial commitment and domestic support for the material benefit of the other. Gender is irrelevant and it does not matter whether you live under the same roof.
A domestic partner does not include a person who provides domestic support and personal care:
- for fee or reward, or
- on behalf of another person or an organisation - including a government or government agency, a body corporate or a charitable or benevolent organisation..
Companies
An associate of a company is any:
- business partner of the company
- participant with the company in a business arrangement or relationship with the second-hand dealing or pawnbroking business.
Declaring your associates
Once registered, you must notify the BLA of any change of an individual or company associate on your registration, view Update registration details – second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers.