Bellevue, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Bellevue City Code 5.32.020 makes it unlawful to run a pawnshop or act as a dealer in secondhand precious metals, gems or jewelry without a license from the city clerk, at a fee of $100.00 per year. The city will not issue a new pawnshop license if doing so would push the total above one for every 15,000 residents, and the clerk can refuse an application found to contain untruthful information. Applications under 5.32.040 go to the Bellevue police department for a background check before the clerk can approve them.

Licenses run for one calendar year and are non-transferable (5.32.030); renewals are due by December 31st, with late fees of 25% of the fee for 7 to 30 days late, 50% for 31 to 60 days, and 75% for 61 days or more (5.32.050). Under 5.32.060, every pawnbroker and dealer must keep a permanent record of each transaction, including the customer's signature, name, date of birth, physical description, address and ID number, a detailed description of the item (including firearm caliber, barrel length and action type where applicable), and the price paid or amount loaned; those records must be produced to the Bellevue police chief on request within 24 hours (5.32.070) and kept for three years (5.32.080).

Pawnbrokers cannot release purchased or pledged goods for 30 days after the transaction (5.32.100, with an exception for legal-tender coins and hallmarked bars bought by dealers), cannot deal with anyone under 18, an intoxicated person, a known drug user or a suspected thief (5.32.110), and cannot operate between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except from December 15th through 25th and until 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays (5.32.120). Interest is capped by reference to Chapter 19.60 RCW.