Auctioneer License Requirements in Delaware
No auctioneer license. Delaware has no professional auctioneer license — you register for an occupational business license with the Division of Revenue, which is a tax matter, not a competency test.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
There is no professional license for online auctions to be exempt from. The Division of Revenue occupational license is a tax registration that applies to the business regardless of whether you sell live or online.
The Rules in Delaware
Delaware treats auctioneering as a taxed occupation, not a regulated profession. Under title 30, chapter 23 of the Delaware Code, auctioneers hold an occupational license from the Division of Revenue — $75 per county for residents, $225 per county for nonresidents. There is no board, no exam, and no bond.
The main ongoing obligation is tax: Delaware's gross receipts tax applies to auction commissions at roughly 0.4023%. There is no statute requiring a written consignment contract, an escrow account, or a settlement deadline, so those protections come from your own agreement.
Requirements at a Glance
- Division of Revenue occupational license — $75/county resident, $225/county nonresident (30 Del. C. ch. 23)
- Gross receipts tax of approximately 0.4023% on commissions
- No bond, escrow, or trust-account statute
- No statutory written-contract rule or settlement deadline
Statute: 30 Del. C. ch. 23.
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.