Clarksville, TN Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Daily register
- required for every transaction, Sec. 5-602
- Police copy
- due by 10:00 a.m. daily
- Holding period
- four days before resale, Sec. 5-604
- Minors
- buying from anyone under 18 is unlawful
- Inspection
- register open to police at all times
Summary
Every Clarksville pawnbroker has to log the name, age, sex, and address of anyone they take goods from or lend money to, plus a description of the item, under Sec. 5-602, and hand the chief of police a full copy of that register by 10:00 a.m. the next day under Sec. 5-603.
Pawnbroker. Any person whose business is to take or receive by way of pledge, pawn, or exchange any goods, wares, or merchandise or article of personal property of any kind as security for money lent thereon... All persons engaged in business as a pawnbroker, a junk dealer, or secondhand dealer shall keep a register if required in connection with the business, and at the close of business on each day shall enter or cause to be entered therein an accurate description of the person from whom any article or personal property is purchased or received or to whom any loan is made on personal property... All pawnbrokers, junk, or secondhand dealers shall, not later than 10:00 a.m. of each day, furnish to the chief of police a full and complete copy or transcript of the register... no pawnbroker, junk or secondhand dealer shall in any manner dispose of property received, with the exception of coins, until it has been held available for inspection by the police department or any other person in authority if required, for not less than four (4) full days of receipt of the material.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-601(1) defines a pawnbroker as anyone whose business is to take or receive goods by way of pledge, pawn, or exchange as security for money lent, and Sec. 5-602 requires every pawnbroker, along with junk and secondhand dealers, to keep a daily register recording the name, age, sex, color, nationality, and residence of each person from whom property is bought, received, or against whom a loan is made, together with a description of the item down to any mark, brand, monogram, or engraving on it.
That register has to stay open to inspection by the chief of police or anyone the chief authorizes, and Sec. m. Sec. 5-604 adds a four-day holding period: no item taken in, other than coins, can be sold or otherwise disposed of until it's been available for police inspection for four full days, and the stock has to be arranged so it can actually be inspected. Sec. 5-605 makes it unlawful outright for a pawnbroker to buy, take, or receive any goods by pledge, pawn, or exchange from anyone under 18. These provisions trace back to the 1963 Code (§§ 21-1 through 21-5) and remain in force unchanged in the current business licensing chapter.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep the required register, skipping the daily 10:00 a.m. copy to the chief of police, disposing of an item before the four-day holding period runs, or buying from a minor are each separate violations of Secs. 5-602 through 5-605, enforced by the Clarksville Police Department; the register itself must stay open for inspection at all times or the dealer is in violation of Sec. 5-602 on that basis alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to go in a Clarksville pawnbroker's register?
How long must a Clarksville pawnbroker hold an item before reselling it?
Can a Clarksville pawnbroker buy from a teenager?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
Compare Clarksville to another location·View the Tennessee business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.