Photo by Maryland Route 5

There’s not really much that seems threatening about Idle Times Books, the Adams Morgan used bookstore that has quietly made its existence among bars and restaurants since 1981. But this week a city inspector informed the store, along with a number of vintage and second-hand stores like it in the neighborhood and on 14th Street, that they ran the risk of hundreds of dollars of fines if they didn’t get a specific—and onerous—business license.

On Wednesday, report the City Paper and Huffington Post, an inspector from the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department strolled into Idle Time Books, Smash Records, Crooked Beat Records, vintage shops Meeps and Treasury, and GoodWood, where they told employees that they needed to get a second-hand business license. (Cost? $700.) Without one, they’d run the risk of hefty fines if they don’t comply within seven days. (Cost? Could be up to $2,000 a day, though it may be less.)

The problem? None of the owners had ever been told about the license—they’ve all operated with a standard business license—and getting one would be particularly troublesome for them. Writes the City Paper:

The requirements of the secondhand business license are notably onerous. In addition to the background checks, businesses have to record every single purchase of secondhand goods they make and file it with MPD’s pawn unit. The idea is to safeguard against the selling of stolen goods—which makes sense when regulating pawn shops, which buy jewelry and electronics off the street. But record stores?

Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the area, is on the case, but it remains unclear who’s responsible for the crackdown. DCRA says it was the cops, but the cops say that’s DCRA’s responsibility. For good measure, the office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C. is also involved. In the meantime, the stores are remaining open.

Last year police raided four Adams Morgan head shops, provoking complaints that they could simply have issued warnings and conducted compliance checks.