El Monte, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 5.68.030 makes it unlawful to carry on the business of pawnbroker without first obtaining a city permit, which must be posted and maintained in a conspicuous place on the business premises. The permit is denied to anyone who has failed to comply with laws regulating the business (Section 5.68.050), and if a permit is revoked, the person cannot be granted a new one for twelve months from the revocation date (Section 5.68.060). Every pawnbroker must daily file with, or mail to, the Chief of Police all reports required by California Financial Code Section 21208, on forms prescribed by the Department of Justice (Section 5.68.070).

The Chief of Police forwards the originals daily to the Department of Justice and keeps duplicates on file in the Police Department, open to inspection only by police officers or by court order (Section 5.68.120). A copy of Chapter 5.68 itself must stay conspicuously posted at the pawnshop (Section 5.68.100), all required records must be kept in English (Section 5.68.110), and anyone carrying on more than one business covered by the chapter at once is treated as running each one separately (Section 5.68.150). Section 5.68.130 makes it a violation for a pawnbroker or an employee to fail to file a required report, fail to keep a required record, or refuse to show any such record to a police officer immediately upon demand.