Columbia County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

" Sec. 22-101 requires every pawnbroker, pawnshop, dealer in precious metals or gems, and itinerant dealer to pay the occupational tax and obtain a certificate under part 2, chapter 78, article V, section 78-138 before doing any business, and Sec. 22-102 makes this article's stricter rules control wherever they exceed the occupational-tax chapter's requirements. Sec. 22-100 puts the Columbia County Sheriff's Office in charge of enforcement, with authority to inspect records and merchandise during regular business hours without a warrant under Sec. 22-110. Sec. 22-106 requires every pawnshop to log each transaction into a sheriff-selected electronic reporting system within one hour of closing, using a sheriff-designated fingerprint reader; new businesses must have a sheriff's representative confirm compliance before opening, and existing ones had 60 days from the article's 2015 enactment to comply.

Sec. 22-107 requires the transaction record to capture the item's brand, serial number, and a digital photo, plus the seller's photo ID, right-thumb digital fingerprint, and signature, kept on the licensed premises for at least a year. Sec. 22-109 bars taking any item in pawn or purchase from anyone under 18. Sec. 22-112 requires every pledged or purchased item held at least ten days before resale, and the sheriff can extend that hold as a law-enforcement hold on suspected stolen property. Sec. 22-113 leaves the loan amount and term to agreement between broker and pawner, and Sec.

22-114 lets the pawnbroker sell an unredeemed pledge only after ten calendar days, with the pawner free to redeem up to the moment of sale. Sec. 22-116 requires written notice to the Sheriff's Office within seven days of any change of business address or ownership.