Bulloch County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

5, Article III regulates pawnbrokers, pawnshops, secondhand dealers and dealers in precious metals and gems together, declaring in Sec. 5-58 that it is in the public welfare to impede the sale of stolen property by requiring these businesses to comply with recordkeeping and reporting rules. Sec. 5-60 makes it unlawful for a pawnbroker or pawnshop to engage in business in the unincorporated area without first obtaining a regulatory license, though a person running more than one covered business type needs only one license listing each type.

Sec. 5-62 requires a licensee to be at least 21 years old, of good moral character, and free of a felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor conviction in the preceding five years. Under Sec. 5-67, a pawnbroker must record government-issued photo identification, physical description information and a digital photograph for every person pledging goods, along with a description and photograph of the goods themselves, and keep that information for three years. Sec. each business day. Sec. 5-71(a) then requires goods taken in pawn, where the pawnbroker takes full title, to be held for at least 30 days before disposal, a longer hold than the five-day period the same section sets for outright purchases. The Sheriff's Department may inspect licensed premises without a warrant under Sec. 5-72 to verify compliance and locate stolen goods.