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

Chelsea requires a separate license from the licensing commission to carry on the business of a pawnbroker, or to purchase, barter, collect or store precious metals, gold, silver or platinum, under section 14-231 of the Code of Ordinances. No scale or measuring device may go into use until it has been tested and sealed by the appropriate city official, and the licensed business may operate only at the address named on the license. Section 14-234's special additional rules layer on top of the general license: the chief of police, the licensing commission or licensing administrator, any officer they authorize, or a state police officer may enter a licensed pawnbroker's premises at any time to inspect articles taken in pawn and the pawnbroker's books and inventories, and refusing entry or failing to produce records is itself punishable.

Every licensed pawnbroker must maintain an operational video surveillance system with cameras trained on all entry and exit points, retain the footage for 30 days, and produce it to the Chelsea Police Department or the licensing commission on request; a malfunctioning system must be reported to the licensing administrator within 24 hours. 00 is capped at three percent per month, though that rate cap only takes effect once the state commissioner of banks approves it, and precious metals dealers must hold everything they buy over the counter for 30 days in its original state before disposing of it. Purchase records must be delivered weekly, by noon on the first workday, to the commanding officer of the police station.