Council Bluffs, IA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- CBMC Chapter 3.44
- Bond required
- $2,000 bond with two or more sureties
- Register rule
- Ink entries within one hour of transaction
- Reporting deadline
- Copy to police chief by noon next day
- Age limit
- No purchases from anyone under 18
- Holding period
- 30 days on absolute purchases for inspection
Summary
Anyone operating as a pawnbroker in Council Bluffs, defined by CBMC 3.44.010 as a person who loans money on personal property or displays the traditional three-ball pawnbroker sign, must hold a city license under CBMC 3.44.020, post a $2,000 bond under CBMC 3.44.040, and keep an inked transaction register the police can inspect at any time.
Any person who loans money on deposit of personal property, or who deals in the purchase of personal property on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price, or who makes a public display at his or her place of business of the sign generally used by pawnbrokers to denote their business: Three gilt or yellow balls, or who publicly exhibits any sign of money to loan on personal property, is declared to be a pawnbroker. ... No person shall carry on or engage in business as a pawnbroker in the city without first having obtained a license therefor from the city, and such license shall conform to those now provided for, or that may hereafter be provided by ordinance. ... Every person applying for a license to engage in carrying on the business of a pawnbroker shall, at the time such license is issued to him, enter into a bond with the city, with two or more good and sufficient securities, to be approved by the city council, in the penal sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000.00), conditioned that such applicant will strictly and faithfully observe all ordinances, regulations and requirements of the city in relation to pawnbrokers or their business
Full Breakdown
CBMC 3.44.010 defines a pawnbroker broadly: anyone who loans money against personal property, buys property with an agreement to resell it back at a set price, or publicly displays the traditional three gilt-ball pawnbroker sign or a sign advertising money loaned on personal property. Before the city clerk issues the license required by CBMC 3.44.020, the applicant must swear an affidavit under CBMC 3.44.030 promising to follow every ordinance governing pawnbrokers and disclosing the exact business address, and the police department investigates the applicant's moral character.
CBMC 3.44.040 requires a $2,000 bond with at least two sureties approved by the city council, covering fines, costs and any damages from wrongfully receiving stolen property; the license fee itself is set in the CBMC 2.08 fee schedule under CBMC 3.44.050. Every pawnbroker must keep an inked register recording each transaction's date, the customer's name, age and driver's license or social security number, a description of the property and its serial number, entered within one hour of the transaction and copied to the chief of police before noon the next day under CBMC 3.44.060; that register stays open to inspection by the chief of police, the Pottawattamie County sheriff and prosecuting attorney, and the city attorney under CBMC 3.44.070.
Absolute purchases must be held for thirty days for inspection under CBMC 3.44.080, and no pawnbroker may buy from anyone under eighteen under CBMC 3.44.090. Pawnbrokers must also digitally photograph each item and seller, capture a fingerprint scan and a photograph of the seller's ID, and deliver that record to police by noon the next business day, and police can place a thirty-day hold on any item connected to a crime under CBMC 3.44.160.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker without the CBMC 3.44.020 license, buying from a minor, or failing to keep and report the required register subjects the violator to the penalty provisions of CBMC 8.02.020, and the city attorney may instead pursue it as a municipal infraction under CBMC 1.95. Failing to comply with a police hold on suspected stolen property under CBMC 3.44.160 exposes the pawnbroker to additional liability under the $2,000 bond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who counts as a pawnbroker under Council Bluffs law?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Council Bluffs
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