Charleston pawnbrokers must hold both a city business license and a state pawnbroker license, observe state interest rate caps, and comply with city secondhand reporting and inspection rules.
Pawnbrokers operating in Charleston must hold a state pawnbroker license issued under Chapter 32 of the West Virginia Code and a Charleston B&O license under Chapter 10 of the City Code. State law caps interest and storage charges on pawned items and requires written tickets describing the article, redemption deadline, and total cost to the borrower. Charleston police may conduct premises inspections and verify that records match electronically reported transactions. Pawned items must be held for the period required by state and city law before forfeiture or resale.
Charging above-cap interest, omitting required ticket disclosures, or skipping reporting can trigger state license revocation, criminal charges, and Charleston business license loss.
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