Caldwell, ID Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Caldwell City Code Article 6-3, the Pawnbrokers Ordinance, requires anyone doing business as a pawnbroker in the city to first obtain a license and pay the license fee set by city council resolution, on top of the separate state pawnbroker license tax under Idaho Code section 63-2303. The license runs through December 31 of the year issued unless revoked or suspended sooner, and every applicant must submit a criminal history with the application; the city clerk can require additional out-of-state history for good cause. A felony conviction within the prior seven years, or a misdemeanor conviction for theft or willful concealment within seven years, can be grounds for denial, as can having had a pawnbroker license revoked or suspended by any jurisdiction within the past three years.

Applicants under 18 cannot be licensed. A denied applicant may appeal to the city council within fifteen days of the clerk's written denial or waive the right to appeal. Licensed pawnbrokers must maintain a fixed place of business in the city and keep an electronic permanent record of every transaction, including the customer's name, date of birth, physical description, a legal description of the pledged item (caliber and action type for firearms), and government-issued photo ID information. That record must be transmitted to Caldwell police within 24 hours of each day's transactions.

When property is reported stolen, police can place a hold requiring the pawnbroker to keep it intact for 30 days, extendable another 30, and a verbal hold lapses if written notice does not follow within 10 business days. Pledged property held 30 days or less in loan value up to $50, or 60 days for loans above $50, becomes forfeitable if unredeemed. Purchased goods cannot be resold or removed from the shop for at least 10 days without the police chief's written consent.