Stafford County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Chapter 19, Article III of the Stafford County Code defines a pawnbroker as anyone who lends money on the pledge and possession of tangible personal property or buys property on condition of selling it back to the seller at a set price. 1-4001. Applicants apply to the sheriff on a county form providing their name, address, date of birth, aliases, fingerprints, a sworn statement of any criminal convictions or pending charges, a recent photograph, and the address where the business will operate. The application fee is $200, paid to the county treasurer, and the license is valid for one year and renewable at the same $200 annual rate.

The sheriff can deny a license to anyone convicted of larceny, receiving stolen property, embezzlement, fraud, false pretenses or theft, any other felony or crime of moral turpitude within seven years, or anyone previously denied or revoked in another jurisdiction. No more than five locations in the county may be licensed to run a pawnbroker's business at one time. Every pawnbroker must carry a $50,000 bond or letter of credit, hold pawned goods at least thirty days plus a fifteen-day grace period before selling them, file a daily pawn report with the sheriff by noon the next day, and cannot charge more than 10 percent monthly interest on loans of $25 or less, 7 percent on loans between $25 and $100, or 5 percent on loans of $100 or more.