Evansville, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Bond required
- $1,000 surety bond
- License gate
- Police Chief character certification
- Resale hold
- 24 hours after report to police
- Daily report deadline
- Noon, next business day
Summary
Evansville requires pawnbrokers to hold a City license backed by a $1,000 bond and to log and report every pawn transaction to police within 24 hours.
No person shall engage in the business of a pawnbroker in the City without first having obtained a license therefor as provided in this title... Every person applying for a pawnbroker’s license shall, before the license is issued, execute a bond payable to the City in the penal sum of $1,000 with good and sufficient surety to be approved by the Controller.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-2026-12, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Evansville Municipal Code Chapter 5.15 bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker without a City license, issued only after the Chief of Police certifies the applicant's character; the applicant must also post a $1,000 surety bond payable to the City. Pawnbrokers must record full details of every pawned item and the pledgor's description, deliver a daily transaction report to the Chief of Police by noon, and hold pawned goods for 24 hours after that report before reselling or releasing them. Pawnbrokers may not take pledges from an intoxicated person, and may not take a pledge from a minor without the written, on-file consent of a parent or guardian.
Violations & Fines
Violating the chapter is fined not more than $300.00 plus costs, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must a pawnbroker report a transaction to Evansville police?
Can an Evansville pawnbroker take an item from a minor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evansville
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