Something else is going on here. You don’t need a license to dismantle a vehicle, but...you need the title to be in your name, the plates, and all DMV fees up to date and paid. As for selling the parts, that’s a whole other story, seller’s permit, maybe a business license, and whatever else the State AND County or City requires. Maybe he was dismantling a lot of vehicles, business style. Code Enforcement is on a terror in Southern California. They’re going deep into the codes and writing people up, left and right, for all sorts of things. It’s all about the $’s.