Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 licenses pawnbrokers through the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, capping fees, requiring 30-day minimum redemption, and mandating police transaction reports; Austin pawnshops also follow the secondhand-dealer reporting and zoning rules.
Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 licenses every Austin pawnshop through the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. Operators must hold a $25,000 net-asset minimum, post a surety bond, and pass background checks. Loan terms are statutorily defined: maximum service charge of about 240 percent annualized for small loans, a 30-day minimum redemption, and a 60-day grace period before forfeiture. Pawnbrokers must report every transaction to APD via LeadsOnline daily and hold pledged items for the statutory period before resale. Austin Code zoning treats pawnshops as commercial use, with separation from schools and other pawnshops in some districts. The OCCC examines licensees roughly every two years and handles consumer complaints.
Operating without a Texas pawnbroker license, exceeding fee caps, or selling pledged items before redemption closes draws OCCC fines up to $1,000 per day, license revocation, and class A misdemeanor charges if combined with stolen-goods possession.
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See how Austin's pawnbrokers rules stack up against other locations.
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