Junkshop record books and the Anti-Fencing Law, explained.
A junkshop's record book answers the questions the Anti-Fencing Law raises about every purchase: who sold it, where they live, what it was, how much and when. The national law is PD 1612, and cities such as Naga, Pasig and Manila add books, logs or reports of their own.
- Issued
- March 2, 1979, with implementing rules in effect from June 15, 1979
- Fencing
- Buying or keeping goods you know, or should know, came from robbery or theft
- Possession
- Holding stolen goods is prima facie evidence of fencing
- Clearance
- From the police station commander, for dealers in goods from unlicensed suppliers, at no fee
Source: Presidential Decree No. 1612, the Anti-Fencing Law of 1979 (March 2, 1979), and its implementing rules, on Lawphil, checked October 2, 2026. A summary, not legal advice.
What PD 1612 says, in short.
Presidential Decree No. 1612 is the Anti-Fencing Law of 1979. These are the parts a yard that buys scrap should know.
What counts as fencing.Section 2 covers anyone who buys, receives, keeps, sells or disposes of an item they know, or should have known, came from robbery or theft.
Possession.Under Section 5, simply having goods that were stolen is prima facie evidence of fencing. A record of each purchase helps show where a load came from.
Clearance.Section 6 asks stores and establishments dealing in goods obtained from an unlicensed dealer or supplier to get a clearance or permit from the police station commander. Without one, they are punished as a fence.
Affidavits.The implementing rules ask for a first affidavit within 30 days of notice, then one every 15 days, filed within 5 days after the period. Each lists what was acquired daily, the sellers' names and addresses, and where the goods are kept. The station commander acts within 72 hours and charges no fee.
The open question.Whether a junkshop buying from households counts as dealing in goods from an unlicensed dealer or supplier is a legal question. Ask a lawyer and your police station.
Power line materials.A separate law, RA 7832 of December 8, 1994, makes it unlawful to store or keep transmission line materials from power lines of 69 kilovolts and up without the owner's consent. It doesn't name junkshops.
Sources: Presidential Decree No. 1612 (March 2, 1979), Sections 2, 5 and 6, and its implementing rules (effective June 15, 1979); Republic Act No. 7832 (December 8, 1994); both on Lawphil, checked October 2, 2026. A summary, not legal advice.
Cities add rules of their own.
PD 1612 applies everywhere. On top of it, some cities set what a junkshop writes down and who sees it, and others regulate the yard instead. Five examples:
Naga City.Two transaction books, one for purchases and one for sales, accredited by the Naga City PNP and PSO. The purchase book takes the seller's name, address, sex, age and valid ID, and the date, time and place. The books are kept at least three years.
Pasig.A daily record of the volume of each type of recyclable, a written report to the Solid Waste Management Office every month, and a Clearance to Operate from that office before the business permit.
Manila.A 1962 ordinance has second-hand dealers and junk shop keepers send the Chief of Police a daily report of everything bought, with the sellers' names and addresses. We couldn't confirm how it is applied today.
Olongapo City.Its 2023 ordinance asks for a barangay clearance, an ESMO permit to operate, a business permit, a fire inspection certificate, a sanitary permit and a locational clearance. It names no purchase logbook and no seller ID check.
Valenzuela.The city lists an Anti-Fencing Certificate for Junkshop, issued by the police, among the requirements for new and renewed business permits.
Sources: Naga City Ordinance No. 2008-056 (August 12, 2008), checked October 2, 2026; Pasig City Ordinance No. 01, Series of 2018 (January 25, 2018), checked October 1, 2026; Manila Ordinance No. 4509 (May 25, 1962), checked October 2, 2026; Olongapo City Ordinance No. 16, Series of 2023 (December 4, 2023), checked October 1, 2026; City of Valenzuela, How to invest in Valenzuela (undated), checked October 2, 2026. A summary, not legal advice. Ask your city's business permits office for its current list.
Read the rules for a city in full.
Each city page lists what its ordinance asks for, its sources and the day we checked them.
What the rules ask for, and where it sits in ScrapTrack.
ScrapTrack keeps the purchase side of the book. It doesn't replace books a city accredits, and it doesn't file reports for you.
| Record | Asked for in | In ScrapTrack |
|---|---|---|
| Seller's name and address | PD 1612 rules, Naga City, Manila | On the supplier record, with a mobile number, and named on every ticket |
| Seller's valid ID | Naga City | No ID field yet |
| What was bought, and how much | PD 1612 rules, Naga City, Pasig | Material, gross, tare and net weight on each ticket |
| Date and time | Naga City | Added to the ticket when it is saved |
| Keeping old records | Naga City: at least three years | Saved online and never deleted automatically |
| Reports | PD 1612 rules: every 15 days. Manila: daily. Pasig: monthly | Not filed by ScrapTrack. Filter by date and export the day's purchases to prepare one |
Keeping purchase records in ScrapTrack, step by step.
- 01 · Seller
Add the seller once
Create a supplier record with the seller's name, address and mobile number. Their later tickets and payments collect under it.
- 02 · Weigh-in
Save the ticket at the scale
Pick the supplier and material and enter gross and tare. The ticket gets its number, date and time as it saves.
- 03 · Notes
Mark loads that need a report
There's no flag for regulated materials yet, so add a note to the ticket when a load has to be reported.
- 04 · Search
Find it when someone asks
Look up a ticket by its number, open a supplier's history, or filter by date and export that day's purchases.
ScrapTrack and the junkshop system behind these records.
Questions about anti-fencing records.
Not covered here? Send us a message on Viber or WhatsApp, or write to sales@orvyn-solutions.com.
See where every purchase record lives in ScrapTrack.
We'll walk you through a day of weigh-ins with sample suppliers and tickets. A quote follows the demo.