Police log check: what officers check

A police log check is prepared well in advance of the officers' visit. What matters is a daily log, identified vendors, and items that can be linked to each entry in the log.

The essentials in 30 seconds

• Two registers, two controls: the second-hand items (Penal Code) and the precious metals (customs).
• The agents verify that the register is Up-to-date, complete, and available in store.
• Each item in stock must be able to be connected to its line from the register by its order number.
• Refusing to present the register or entering inaccurate information in it is punishable by 6 months imprisonment and a €30,000 fine.

Who can control your police logbook?

A jeweller who buys second-hand or buys back gold often keeps two registers, controlled by different administrations.

What the agents check

• The register is on site. It must be kept in every establishment open to the public and be located where the items are held.
• It is maintained on a daily basis. On paper: indelible ink, without white space, erasures or abbreviations, in a register numbered and initialed by the police station or the town hall.
• The sellers are identified. Name, first names, address, and reference number of the identity document presented.
• The objects are identifiable. Precise description with distinguishing marks, serial numbers, hallmarks; for precious metals, nature, weight and fineness.
• The stock corresponds to the register. Each object bears the order number of its line, which allows one to move from the display case to the register and vice versa.
• The price and payment method are shown on each line. For a deposit or an exchange, it is the estimated value that is recorded.

If you use the register of second-hand goods to also register articles made of precious metals, these must appear in ink of a different color (Annex IV of the CGI, art. 56 J sexdecies).

Documents to have on hand

1. THE receipt of your declaration at the prefecture.
2. The(s) registers : second-hand items and precious metals, or a readable export if you keep them on software.
3. THE proof of purchase : supplier invoices, buyback slips, consignment contracts.
4. For items entrusted for repair, the deposit slips or contracts which can replace registration in the precious metals register.

Paper register or electronic register

An electronic register is permitted in place of a numbered and initialed register, provided that the integrity, immutability, and security of the data are guaranteed (Penal Code, art. R. 321-6-1). During an audit, it must be accessible and editable quickly. Retention periods differ: 5 years after its closure for a paper register, 10 years after the data was recorded for an electronic register. See How long should you keep your police logbook?

The sanctions

Failure to keep the register of second-hand goods up to date, to enter inaccurate information in it, or to refuse to present it to the competent authority is punishable by 6 months imprisonment and a €30,000 fine (Penal Code, Articles 321-7 and 321-8). The precious metals register has its own set of penalties. Details, including additional penalties and the case of companies, are in our article. Missing or poorly kept police register: what are the penalties?

For the substantive rules of the register, see also Police register: the obligations of the jeweller-watchmaker and, for the buyout, Buying back gold and precious objects: your obligations, step by step.

Sources: Penal Code, Articles 321-7, 321-8 and R. 321-1 to R. 321-8; Commercial Code, Articles L. 834-6 and L. 835-5; Appendix IV of the French General Tax Code (CGI), Articles 56 J quaterdecies to 56 J septdecies; douane.gouv.fr, "Keeping a police register". This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace applicable laws or legal advice.