Flagstaff, AZ Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

City Code § 3-02-001-0001 defines a 'pawnbroker' as any person engaged in the business of advancing money on the security of pledged goods, or of buying tangible personal property on the condition it may be redeemed by the seller within a fixed or variable period. Section 3-02-001-0002(A)(2) requires every pawnbroker to electronically submit a full, true and complete report of all 'items of interest' (goods bearing a serial number, jewelry, electronics, tools, bicycles and similar categories) received, pawned, pledged or purchased whenever a single transaction's fair market value exceeds $25, to a secure online database approved by the Chief of Police, within two days of receiving the property; other goods worth $100 or more follow the same electronic reporting rule, and transactions cannot be split to dodge the threshold.

Renewals of items already reported and continuously held by the same pawnbroker are exempt. Under § 3-02-001-0003, the Chief of Police keeps these reports on file at the Flagstaff Police Department, open to inspection only by department employees, law enforcement, or by court or Chief of Police order. Section 3-02-001-0006(A) and (B) sets the transaction fee: every pawnbroker pays the City $3.00 for each report required under § 3-02-001-0002(A)(2), due in full on the last business day of the month following the month the report was required.

Unlawful acts under § 3-02-001-0005 bar a pawnbroker from disposing of pledged goods until one week after filing the required report, and bar any pawn transaction with a person under eighteen. Every report must record the date, time, item description, and the customer's name and address confirmed against a valid driver's license, ID card or military ID.