Concord, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- Chief of police
- Felony lookback
- None in past 10 years
- Reporting deadline
- 48 hours via LeadsOnline
- Revocation notice
- 15+ days before hearing
- Governing state law
- G.S. ch. 66, art. 45, pt. 1
Summary
Operating a pawnshop or pawnbroker business in Concord requires a license from the chief of police under City Code Sec. 18-101, issued only after the applicant is vetted for good moral character and shown to have no felony conviction within the past ten years, per Sec. 18-102.
Sec. 18-101. License required. (a)It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to establish or conduct a business of pawnbroker or to operate a pawnshop within the city unless such person, firm or corporation has procured a license to conduct such a business in compliance with this article and the provisions of G.S. ch. 66, art. 45, pt. 1 as amended. ... Sec. 18-102. Issuance of license. (a)Prior to issuing a license under this article, the chief of police or his or her designee shall be satisfied that the applicant is of good moral character and has not been convicted of a felony within the last ten years. The location of the pawnshop must be within the corporate limits of the City of Concord and be in compliance with all provisions of G.S. ch. 66, art. 45, pt. 1 as amended, including but not limited to G.S. 66-390, and applicable provisions of the ordinances of the city.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of chapter 18, rewritten by Ord. No. 19-82 in August 2019, licenses pawnbrokers and currency converters together. Applications go to the chief of police on an approved form under Sec. ch. 66, art. 45, pt. S. 66-399. S. 66-397. Once licensed, Sec. S. 66-391, plus a digital photograph of each pawned item and any serial number or identifying mark, uploaded through LeadsOnline or a similar reporting system within 48 hours of the transaction; currency converters face the same photograph and 48-hour LeadsOnline reporting duty under Sec.
18-104. No entry in that system can be erased, obliterated or defaced. Sec. 18-105 lets the chief of police revoke a license for substantial abuse of the article or the state pawnbroker law, but only after written notice by certified or registered mail describing the allegations, with a hearing that can't be held sooner than 15 calendar days after the notice.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license under Sec. 18-101 is unlawful, and a licensed pawnbroker who fails to use LeadsOnline or a similar reporting system, or who erases or defaces a required transaction entry, faces revocation under Sec. 18-103(b). Currency converters who skip the 48-hour reporting duty under Sec. 18-104 are subject to the general penalties in G.S. 1-8. Sec. 18-105 allows outright license revocation for substantial abuse of the article, following written notice and a hearing no sooner than 15 days later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a pawnbroker license in Concord?
How fast must a Concord pawnbroker report a transaction?
Can Concord revoke a pawnbroker's license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Concord
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