Bellevue, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $100.00 per pawnshop or dealer
- License cap
- 1 per 15,000 residents
- Business hours
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (10 p.m. Sat. Dec. 15-25)
- Record retention
- 3 years, open to police inspection
- Holding period
- 30 days before resale of pledged goods
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $350 fine or 90 days jail
- Appeal window
- 14 calendar days to hearing examiner
Summary
Bellevue caps pawnshop licenses at one per 15,000 residents and charges $100 a year for a pawnshop or dealer license. Shops must close between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. except during the December holiday stretch, and every transaction gets logged for police review.
It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of conducting a pawnshop or to act as a dealer without first having obtained a license to do so. The fee for a pawnshop license and the fee for a dealer's license shall be $100.00 per year. No pawnshop license shall be issued hereafter which would increase the number of pawnshop licenses in the city to more than one for every 15,000 of population or fraction thereof.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
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. 040 go to the Bellevue police department for a background check before the clerk can approve them. 050). 080). 120). 60 RCW.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 5.32 without a specific penalty listed is a misdemeanor under 5.32.140, punishable by a fine up to $350.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and the clerk may also revoke or suspend the license. Failing to keep required records or falsifying a report to the police chief is a separate violation under 5.32.130. Refusing to return pawned property to its rightful owner on demand is theft by conversion, a gross misdemeanor, under 5.32.135. Any revocation or suspension notice under 5.32.145 gives the licensee 14 calendar days to appeal to the city's hearing examiner under Chapter 1.18 BCC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a pawnbroker license cost in Bellevue?
Is there a limit on how many pawnshops Bellevue will license?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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