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Clackamas County, OR Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

State license required: ORS Chapter 726
County permit needed only if: also a Secondhand Dealer
Pawn loan hold exemption: exempt from 30-day rule
Reporting duty: new transactions only
Enforcing agency: Sheriff's Pawn Shop Detail
Citation appeal window: 10 days

Summary

Pawnbrokers in unincorporated Clackamas County operate under state law first: Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 726 sets the license itself. The county code layers on its own theft-prevention rules, requiring pawnbrokers to follow the same reporting, hold-period, tagging, and nuisance-abatement sections that apply to Secondhand Dealers, even if the pawnbroker never registers as one.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Clackamas County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

PAWNBROKER has the meaning set forth in ORS 726.010 (2) and includes any business required by ORS 726.040 to hold an Oregon Pawnbroker's license. ... Any Pawnbroker operating within Clackamas County shall be required to maintain a valid license pursuant to the Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 726. If any Pawnbroker also acts as a Secondhand Dealer, that Pawnbroker shall be required to obtain a Secondhand Dealer permit and meet all requirements of this chapter. Any Pawnbroker that is not a Secondhand Dealer shall nonetheless be subject to the following sections of this chapter:

View official code

Full Breakdown

040. 030(C), every pawnbroker doing business in the county must keep that state license current; a pawnbroker who also buys and resells goods outright as a Secondhand Dealer needs the separate county Secondhand Dealer permit too. 150. 090(A)(1)).

Violations & Fines

A pawnbroker who lets its Oregon Chapter 726 license lapse, fails to report new pawn transactions to the Sheriff's Pawn Shop Detail, or violates the prohibited-acts list in 8.03.110, such as taking property from a minor or ignoring a police hold, is subject to a County Code fine set by Board resolution and can be cited by the Sheriff under 8.03.120, with 10 days to pay or appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a pawnbroker need a separate county permit on top of the state license?

Only if the pawnbroker also buys and resells property outright as a Secondhand Dealer. A pawnbroker that sticks to pawn loans keeps its Oregon Chapter 726 license but is still bound by the county's reporting, hold, and prohibited-acts rules under 8.03.030(C).

Do pawn loans have to sit for 30 days like other secondhand items?

No. Pawn loan transactions are exempt from the county's standard 30-day hold requirement because of the redeemable nature of the loans and the holding requirements already imposed by ORS 726, under 8.03.090(A)(1). If the pawnbroker converts an unredeemed loan into an outright purchase within 30 days, though, the time already held counts toward that period.

What transactions must a pawnbroker report to the Sheriff?

Only new pawn transactions. Loan renewals and redemptions by the original customer do not need to be reported to the Sheriff's Pawn Shop Detail as long as the pledged property never leaves the store, under 8.03.080(A)(3). A brand-new pawn transaction still requires the standard identification and reporting steps.

Sources & Official References

[1]Clackamas County Code

Other rules in Clackamas County

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome Restrictions Towing CompaniesSignificant Restrictions Secondhand DealersSignificant Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome Restrictions Noise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome Restrictions

All Clackamas County rules

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