El Paso, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- State license
- Texas Finance Code Ch. 371
- City add-on duty
- Recordkeeping under § 5.12.210
- Records required
- Transaction log plus pawn ticket/bill of sale
- Retention
- One year per transaction
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 per violation
Summary
El Paso pawnbrokers operate under a state license, but Article IV of Chapter 5.12 layers on city recordkeeping duties: every pawn transaction must be logged the same way secondhand dealers log theirs, and a copy of the pawn ticket or bill of sale kept on-site for city inspection.
Pawnbrokers will continue to be licensed by the state and must follow the Texas Finance Code, Chapter 371, Title 7, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 85, and other applicable state or federal law. In addition to the required state license, pawnbrokers must comply with the city's recordkeeping requirements as set forth in this article. ... Every pawnbroker must keep at his place of business the following records: A. A record of the transaction in accordance with Section 5.12.110. B. As applicable: 1. A copy of the pawn ticket; or 2. A copy of the bill of sale.
Full Breakdown
110", the same detailed secondhand-dealer log covering the seller's photographic ID, birth date, physical description, and a full item description including serial numbers, plus, as applicable, a copy of the pawn ticket or a copy of the bill of sale. 12 scheme: transaction records must be kept for one year, made available on demand to any city police officer during business hours, and items may not be purchased if the seller cannot show a receipt or provide a signed statement about how they acquired the item. The recordkeeping duty runs alongside, not instead of, the state pawnshop license and its own bonding and reporting requirements administered under state law.
Violations & Fines
A pawnbroker who fails to keep the required transaction records or pawn tickets violates Chapter 5.12 and, under Section 5.12.220, commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, with the chief of police or a designee authorized to issue the citation; the penalty applies in addition to any state-level license discipline under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Paso license pawnshops separately from the state?
What records must a pawnbroker keep?
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What's the penalty for not keeping proper pawn records?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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