Cedar Rapids, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- City pawnbroker license required
- Bond
- $2,000 surety bond required
- Resale hold
- 3 months after redemption deadline
- Records
- Transaction log open to police
Summary
Cedar Rapids requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker to hold a city license and post a $2,000 surety bond, and bars resale of pledged items until three months after the loan's redemption deadline passes.
No person shall engage in business in the city as a pawnbroker or person receiving actual possession of personal property as security for loans with or without a mortgage or bill of sale thereon without a license therefor. ... An applicant for a license under this chapter shall file a bond executed by a surety bonding company in the sum of $2,000, conditioned that he will comply with all the conditions and regulations of this chapter...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 43 of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Code makes it unlawful to engage in business as a pawnbroker, or to take personal property as loan security, without a city license (§ 43.01). Applicants must file a $2,000 surety bond covering fines, penalties, and restitution for stolen goods taken in pledge (§ 43.03). Pawnbrokers must log each transaction in ink on a form supplied by the Chief of Police, open to police inspection, and pawned articles cannot be sold until three months after the redemption deadline expires (§§ 43.04, 43.06).
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required license violates § 43.01; the § 43.03 bond is forfeit for damages tied to stolen property taken in pledge, and selling a pledged item before the three-month hold violates § 43.06.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a pawnshop in Cedar Rapids?
How long must a Cedar Rapids pawnbroker hold an item before selling it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cedar Rapids
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