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Cambridge, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

Key Facts

Licensing authority: Board of License Commissioners
Governing state law: G.L. c. 140, §§ 70-85
Mon/Tue/Wed/Sat hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thu/Fri hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday hours: None authorized

Summary

Cambridge pawnbrokers operate under a Board of License Commissioners license issued per state pawnbroking law, plus a city-set hours rule. Chapter 5.32 confines business to eight a.m. through six p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, and eight a.m. through nine p.m. Thursday and Friday, with no Sunday hours listed at all.

The Board of License Commissioners shall issue licenses to pawnbrokers in accordance with the provisions of and subject to the limitations in 4 G.L., c. 140, §§ 70-85, inclusive, and any other acts relative to the business of pawnbrokers and any acts in amendment thereto now or hereafter passed.

View official code

Full Breakdown

, c. ' That state statute controls who may be licensed and how a pawnbroker's loans and pledged goods must be handled, while Cambridge layers its own operating-hours rule on top. 020 states: 'Every pawnbroker licensed in the City shall not be open for business except during the following hours: A. m. B. ' The ordinance lists no Sunday hours at all, so a Cambridge pawnshop has no authorized hours that day. c. 140 in addition to the city's fixed weekday and Saturday hours.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 5.32 sets no separate dollar fine of its own; a violation of the posted hours or of a license condition is enforced the way any Board of License Commissioners license is enforced, through revocation of the license for cause. Because the underlying license issues under G.L. c. 140, §§ 70-85, violations of that statute's recordkeeping and redemption requirements can also trigger suspension or prosecution under state law.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hours can a Cambridge pawnshop be open?

Cambridge Municipal Code § 5.32.020 limits licensed pawnbrokers to eight a.m. through six p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and eight a.m. through nine p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. No hours are listed for Sunday, so a Cambridge pawnshop cannot lawfully open that day.

Does Cambridge or the state license pawnbrokers?

Both. The Board of License Commissioners issues the license, but § 5.32.010 ties it to the limitations in General Laws Chapter 140, §§ 70-85, the state pawnbroking statute, so state law governs terms like recordkeeping on top of the city's hours rule.

Can Cambridge revoke a pawnbroker's license?

Yes. Because the license is a Board of License Commissioners license, the Board can revoke it for cause the same way it can any other business license it issues, and violations of the underlying state pawnbroking statute carry their own separate penalties.

Sources & Official References

[1]Cambridge Municipal Code § 5.32 - Pawnbrokers

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