Birmingham, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee rate
- 0.2% of gross receipts
- Minimum annual license
- $900.00
- Schedule
- Appendix A, Schedule 189
- Also governed by
- Alabama Pawnshop Act, Ala. Code § 5-19A-1
- Unlicensed operation penalty
- up to $500/offense, 6 months (§ 3A-1-41)
Summary
Birmingham licenses pawnbrokers and pawnbroker's agents under Schedule 189 of the Appendix A business license schedule, charging two-tenths of one percent of gross receipts with a $900 minimum license each year. The city's general license article separately makes it unlawful to engage in the pawnbroking business at all without first obtaining that license.
SCHEDULE 189. PAWN BROKERS OR PAWN BROKER'S AGENT. Each person, firm or corporation doing business as pawn brokers or pawn broker's agents shall pay a license of two-tenths of one percent of gross receipts with a minimum license in any case of: $900.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
00 regardless of how small the receipts are. 2%-of-receipts structure mirrors the fee schedules for other credit-related trades in the same appendix, such as money brokers (Schedule 167) and commercial and industrial finance companies (Schedule 259), both of which expressly exclude pawnbrokers from their own schedules so a pawn business is not double-billed under more than one category. Beyond the fee itself, § 3A-1-41 (Article D, License Regulations) makes it unlawful for any person, taxpayer, or agent to commence or continue any business in the city, including pawnbroking, without first procuring the required license, and treats maintaining a place of business as prima facie evidence the business is being carried on.
Chapter 13 of the General Code separately notes, in a footnote, that pawnbrokers are also subject to the Alabama Pawnshop Act, Ala. , a state-level licensing law layered on top of this city revenue license.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker or pawnbroker's agent in Birmingham without first obtaining the Schedule 189 business license violates § 3A-1-41, punishable by a fine up to $500 for each offense and, if willful, up to six months' imprisonment, with each day of unlicensed operation counted as a separate offense. The city can also pursue license revocation and injunctive relief against an unlicensed pawn business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Birmingham pawnbroker business license?
Does Birmingham's pawnbroker license replace the state Pawnshop Act requirements?
What happens if a Birmingham pawnbroker never gets the required license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Birmingham
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle pawnbrokers.