Atlanta, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Application fee
- $100, nonrefundable
- Annual license fee
- $750
- Location buffer
- 1,000 ft from schools, churches, other pawnshops
- Licensing office
- APD Licenses & Permits Unit
- Final decision
- Mayor, within 60 days
Summary
Atlanta requires a police-issued pawnshop license before operating: $100 application fee, $750 annual license, License Review Board hearing, and a 1,000-foot buffer from other pawnshops, schools, and churches.
Every person, before beginning the business of operating a pawnshop or similar place where money is advanced on goods or other effects or merchandise of any kind is taken in pawn, shall first file an application with the department of police for a permit to conduct the business.
Full Breakdown
Anyone opening a pawnshop in Atlanta must first file a license application with the Atlanta Police Department's Licenses and Permits Unit, paying a nonrefundable $100 application fee. The department investigates the applicant and reports its findings to the License Review Board, which holds a public hearing and forwards a recommendation to the mayor, who has 60 days to grant or deny the license. An approved license costs $750 a year. New pawnshops cannot locate within 1,000 feet of another pawnshop, a school, park, library, church, hospital, or child care facility, though locations licensed before July 1, 2010 are grandfathered if not expanded.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, submitting a false or incomplete application, or violating location and recordkeeping rules can trigger license revocation by the License Review Board after a hearing, plus separate offense penalties for failing to keep required transaction records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues pawnshop licenses in Atlanta?
How close can a pawnshop be to a school or church in Atlanta?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Atlanta
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle pawnbrokers.