D.C.'s vintage goods stores score win after license bust

Store owners selling vintage clothing, used books and vinyl records in D.C. are soon getting relief after city investigators swept through Adams Morgan earlier this year and told owners they needed to get a new business license or risk being shut down.

The sweep was conducted by a Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs officer and Metropolitan Police Department investigator and targeted shops that sold used goods but had either not renewed or had never applied for a secondhand goods license, which is typically held by pawn shops. Unlike a regular business license, which can be applied for online and costs $300, a secondhand business license requires from the applicant a biennial criminal background check, fingerprints and $700.