Fairfield, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Holding period
- 30 days before sale, Bus. & Prof. Code §21636
- Firearm exception
- 5-day advance police notice for licensed dealer shipments
- Recordkeeping
- Bound book of daily reports required, FMC §13.6
- Tagging
- Numbered tag required on every item held, §13.8
- Police inspection
- Records open to any peace officer at any time
- License forfeiture
- Bus. & Prof. Code §21642, notice by Chief of Police
Summary
Fairfield pawnbrokers must hold every pawned item intact for the full 30-day period set by Business and Professions Code section 21636 before selling or otherwise disposing of it, keep a bound book of daily transaction reports, and let police inspect pawned goods on demand under City Code Chapter 13.
All tangible personal property shall, during the 30-day holding period required by Business and Professions Code section 21636, be maintained intact in a particular location in the place of business designated for that purpose. A federal licensed firearms dealer engaged as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer is exempt from holding a firearm for the period of time stated in this section whenever the firearm is received for shipment to another person, as defined by Public Law 90-618; provided, that an accurate description of the firearm, the name and address of the person delivering the firearm to the pawnbroker or secondhand dealer, and the name and address of the person to whom the firearm is to be shipped is furnished to the police department five (5) days prior to initiating shipment of the firearm.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-02, passed February 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
9 ties Fairfield's local pawn rules directly to the state's 30-day holding period: every piece of tangible personal property taken in pawn must stay intact in a particular, designated spot in the shop for the full 30 days required by Business and Professions Code section 21636 before the pawnbroker may sell or dispose of it. Firearms get a narrow carve-out. A federal licensed firearms dealer working as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer does not have to hold a firearm for that period when the gun is being shipped to another person under Public Law 90-618, provided the dealer gives the police department, five days before shipping, an accurate description of the firearm and the names and addresses of both the person delivering it and the person receiving it.
8 requires a matching numbered tag on every item taken into possession. 10 gives any sheriff, police officer, constable or other peace officer the right to demand and inspect pawned articles and the records behind them at any time; nothing may be concealed. 16 subjects the pawnbroker's license to forfeiture under Business and Professions Code section 21642, effective once the Chief of Police serves written notice of the forfeiture.
Violations & Fines
Refusing to produce pawned goods or transaction records for a peace officer's inspection under section 13.10 is itself a violation of the chapter. Failing to hold an item for the full statutory period, or ignoring the recordkeeping and tagging duties of sections 13.6 and 13.8, exposes a pawnbroker's license to forfeiture under Business and Professions Code section 21642 once the Chief of Police serves written notice; an aggrieved pawnbroker may appeal under City Code sections 12.413 through 12.422.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Fairfield pawnbroker hold an item before selling it?
Is there any exception to the 30-day pawn hold for firearms in Fairfield?
Can Fairfield police inspect a pawnshop's records without notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfield
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