Everett, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $250
- Background check lookback
- 10 years
- Business location
- One fixed shop only
- Records retained
- 3 years, police-inspectable
- Violation class
- Gross misdemeanor
Summary
Everett requires a city license to operate as a pawnbroker, with an annual fee of $250 and a background check for fraud or moral-turpitude convictions within the past decade.
A. License Required. Except as provided otherwise in Section 5.32.030, no person shall engage in the business of dealing in metal or nonmetal junk; secondhand property, or engage in the business of a pawnbroker in the city, without first obtaining a license therefor. ... D. The annual license fee for pawnbrokers shall be the sum of two hundred fifty dollars.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Everett Municipal Code Chapter 5.32, anyone loaning money on pledged personal property in Everett, Washington must hold a city pawnbroker license before opening, separate from a general business license. Applicants and managers cannot have been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or fraud, or released from custody for one, within the prior ten years, and the business must operate from a single fixed location within the city (not unincorporated Snohomish County). The annual fee is $250. Pawnbrokers must also keep detailed transaction records for three years, hold suspected stolen property on police notice, and may only sell an unredeemed pledge after the loan term plus a 60-day grace period.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a pawnbroker license, or violating the recordkeeping and stolen-property hold duties, is a gross misdemeanor under EMC 5.32.130 and Chapter 10.04, enforced by the Everett Police Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Everett require a separate license for pawnbrokers?
Can a pawnbroker sell an unredeemed item right away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle pawnbrokers.