Corvallis, OR Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Corvallis Municipal Code § 8.09.020(5) defines a pawnbroker as any business required by Oregon Revised Statute 726.040 to hold a state pawnbroker's license, and specifically requires that pawnbrokers also carry a City of Corvallis Secondhand Dealer Permit under Chapter 8.09 covering every loan, purchase, and consignment. Section 8.09.010 explains the Council's reasoning: pawnshops and similar dealers handle a high volume of goods and present an extraordinary risk of being used to conceal theft. Section 8.09.040 bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker in the City without first obtaining the license and posting it conspicuously near the business entrance.

Applicants file a sworn application under Section 8.09.050 disclosing prior occupations, residency history, and any criminal convictions; the Chief of Police investigates and can recommend denial for theft, burglary, robbery, or criminal mischief convictions under ORS Chapter 164, dishonest business conduct, or false application information. Once issued, a license under Section 8.09.060 remains valid indefinitely unless the City Manager revokes it, and it cannot be transferred. Section 8.09.090 requires every purchase or loan to be logged on a Corvallis Police Department transaction form recording the customer's name, date of birth, physical description, and identification, with dealer copies kept at least one year.

Section 8.09.100 bars purchases from anyone under 18 without a parent or guardian present, from intoxicated or incapacitated persons, and from items with removed serial numbers, and requires pawned property to be held 15 days before resale (Federal Firearms Licensees are exempt). Section 8.09.115 lets any officer place a Police Hold on suspected stolen items for up to 30 days.