225 ILCS 465/1
(225 ILCS 465/1) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1651) Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Transient Merchant Act of 1987". (Source: P.A. 85-600.)
225 ILCS 465
225 ILCS 465
in effect225 ILCS 465/2 Definitions
(225 ILCS 465/2) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1652) Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act: "Transient merchant" means any person who is engaged temporarily in the retail sale of goods, wares or merchandise in this State and who, for the purpose of conducting such business, occupies any building, room, vehicle, structure of any kind, or vacant lot. However, this Act does not apply to any person selling goods, wares or merchandise which are raised, produced or manufactured by him, to any person selling vegetables, fruit or perishable farm products at an established city or village market, to any person operating a store or refreshment stand at a resort, to any person operating a stand or booth on or adjacent to property owned by him or upon which he resides, to any person operating a stand or booth at a State or county fair, or to any person operating a stand or booth at a trade show, exposition, convention or similar event. This Act does not apply to any person holding a valid license, issued by a county or municipality, to engage in retail sales. "Itinerant vendor" means any person who transports tangible personal property for retail sale within this State who does not maintain in this State an established office, distribution house, sales house, warehouse, service center or residence from which such business is conducted. However, this Act does not apply to any person who delivers tangible personal property within this State who is fulfilling an order for such property which was solicited or placed by mail or other means. This Act does not apply to any person holding a valid license, issued by a county or municipality, to engage in retail sales. "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, firm, association or other entity. "New and unused property" means tangible personal property that is acquired in the ordinary course of business by the unused property merchant directly from the producer, manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer that (i) has not been used since its production or manufacture or (ii) is in its original and unopened package or container, if the personal property was packaged when originally produced or manufactured. (Source: P.A. 91-874, eff. 6-30-00.)
225 ILCS 465/3
(225 ILCS 465/3) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1653) Sec. 3. It is a violation of this Act for any person, either as principal or agent, to conduct business as a transient merchant or itinerant vendor in this State without first complying with the requirements of Section 2a of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act by obtaining a certificate of registration and, if a bond or other security is required, by posting bond or other approved security, and without having obtained a license under this Act. (Source: P.A. 96-1355, eff. 7-28-10.)
225 ILCS 465/4
(225 ILCS 465/4) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1654) Sec. 4. (a) Any person who wishes to obtain a license as a transient merchant or itinerant vendor shall file a written license application with the appropriate licensing agency as provided in this Section. (b) (1) The corporate authorities of a municipality of more than 500,000 persons may designate a municipal office or department as the licensing agency. If such a licensing agency has been designated, a transient merchant or itinerant vendor intending to do business in such incorporated area shall file his license application with that licensing agency. (2) If the applicant intends to transact business in an incorporated area which is not within the jurisdiction of any police department or in an unincorporated area, the application shall be filed with the office of the county sheriff whose jurisdiction includes the area in which business is to be transacted, and such office shall be the licensing agency. (3) Except as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, if the applicant intends to transact business in an incorporated area within the jurisdiction of a police department, the application shall be filed with that police department and such police department shall be the licensing agency. (c) The license application shall include the applicant's name, permanent business address (which must include a street address), residence address of the principal (and, if the applicant is a corporation, the residence addresses of its officers), the location at which the applicant intends to do business, the nature of the business the applicant intends to conduct, a copy of the applicant's certificate of registration under the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, a complete inventory of the goods the applicant intends to offer for sale, and a list of all licenses to conduct business as a transient merchant or an itinerant vendor obtained by the applicant in this State in the 12 months preceding the date of filing of the application. (d) The applicant shall file with the licensing agency a surety bond or shall make a cash deposit unless waived by the unit of local government of which the licensing agency is a branch. The amount of the bond or deposit shall be equal to 50% of the wholesale value of the merchandise that the applicant intends to offer for sale; however, the amount of the bond or deposit shall not be less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000. A unit of local government may, by ordinance, waive the requirement of posting a surety bond or cash deposit. (e) The licensing agency shall transfer said deposit or bond to the Attorney General of this State within 14 days after the applicant ceases to do business in its jurisdiction, and the Attorney General shall hold such deposit or bond for 2 years for the benefit of any person who suffers loss or damage as a result of the purchase of merchandise from said person licensed under this Act or as the result of the negligent or intentionally tortious act of the person licensed under this Act. The Attorney General shall pay any portion of the bond or deposit to any person in accordance with the order of a court without making an independent finding as to the amount of the bond or deposit that is payable to that person. Any balance of said deposit held by the Attorney General 2 years after the expiration of a license of a person under this Act shall be refunded to the person. (f) A license issued under this Act shall expire on December 31 of the year it was issued. The licensing agency may collect a license application fee of $100 from any person wishing to conduct business as either a transient merchant or itinerant vendor under this Act. (Source: P.A. 85-1267.)
225 ILCS 465/5
(225 ILCS 465/5) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1655) Sec. 5. If any person makes retail sales as a transient merchant or itinerant vendor without having obtained a license under Section 4 of this Act, the licensing agency may hold the inventory, truck or other personal property of the person until he obtains a license to conduct business as a transient merchant or itinerant vendor. If the property has been held by the licensing agency for more than 60 days and the person whose property is being held has not obtained a license under Section 4 of this Act, the licensing agency, or the unit of government of which it is a branch, office or department, may petition the circuit court for an order for the sale of the property being held. If the court finds that the person whose property is held has not obtained a license under Section 4 of this Act, the court may order the licensing agency or unit of government to sell the property. Proceeds of the sale of the property, less reimbursement to the licensing agency of the reasonable expenses of storage and sale of the property, shall be deposited in the treasury of the county, city or other unit of government of which the licensing agency is a branch, office or department. (Source: P.A. 85-600.)
225 ILCS 465/5.5
(225 ILCS 465/5.5) Sec. 5.5. Flea market; prohibited sales. No person at a flea market shall sell, offer for sale, or knowingly permit the sale of baby food, infant formula, or similar products or any pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, or medical devices. This Section does not apply to a person who keeps available for public inspection an identification card identifying him or her as an authorized representative of the manufacturer or distributor of any pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, or medical devices, as long as the card is not false, fraudulent, or fraudulently obtained. For purposes of this Section, "flea market" means any location, other than a permanent retail store, at which space is rented or otherwise made available to others for the conduct of business as a transient merchant or an itinerant vendor as defined in this Act. (Source: P.A. 89-226, eff. 1-1-96.)
225 ILCS 465/5.6
(225 ILCS 465/5.6) Sec. 5.6. Receipts for the purchase of new and unused property. (a) An unused property merchant must maintain receipts for the purchase of new and unused property purchased or acquired on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. The receipts must contain the following information: (1) the date of the transaction; (2) the name and address of the person, corporation, or entity from whom the new and unused property was acquired; (3) an identification and description of the new and unused property acquired; (4) the price paid for the new and unused property; and (5) the signature of the seller and buyer of the new and unused property. (b) It is a violation of this Section for an unused property merchant required to maintain receipts under the provisions of this Section to knowingly: (1) falsify, obliterate, or destroy the receipts; (2) refuse or fail to make the receipts available for inspection upon request within a period of time that is reasonable under the individual circumstances surrounding the request; however, the unused property merchant is not required to possess the receipt on or about his or her person without reasonable notice; or (3) fail to maintain the receipts required by this Section for at least 2 years. (c) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the following: (1) the sale of a motor vehicle or trailer that is required to be registered or is subject to the certificate of title laws of this State; (2) the sale of livestock, ice, or wood for fuel; (3) business conducted in any industry or association trade show; (4) property, although never used, whose style, packaging, or material clearly indicates that the property was not produced or manufactured recently; (5) a person who sells by sample, catalog, or brochure for future delivery; (6) the sale of arts or crafts or other merchandise by the person who produced those arts or crafts or other merchandise or by a person or persons acting on his or her behalf; or (7) a person who makes sales presentations pursuant to a prior, individualized invitation issued to the consumer by the owner or legal occupant of the premises. (Source: P.A. 91-874, eff. 6-30-00.)
225 ILCS 465/6
(225 ILCS 465/6) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1656) Sec. 6. It shall be prima facie evidence that a person is a transient merchant or itinerant vendor under this Act if the person does not transact business from a fixed location or if the person does not own, or lease for a term of at least 6 months, the property from which business is conducted. (Source: P.A. 85-600.)
225 ILCS 465/7
(225 ILCS 465/7) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1657) Sec. 7. Any person who is convicted of violating any provision of this Act is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. Any person who is convicted of committing a second or subsequent violation of this Act is guilty of a Class 4 felony. (Source: P.A. 85-600.)
225 ILCS 465/8
(225 ILCS 465/8) (from Ch. 121 1/2, par. 1658) Sec. 8. Nothing in this Act shall limit the authority of a unit of local government to license or regulate transient merchants or itinerant vendors in a manner not inconsistent with this Act. (Source: P.A. 85-600.)
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.aspFetched: 10/17/2026