Forsyth County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 22-91 makes clear that pawnbrokers may operate only after Forsyth County issues a license, and only in the manner the license permits; every pawn or pledge transaction must run through a licensee who complies with both the county article and state licensing, regulatory and revenue law. Section 22-92 sets strict qualification rules: no license goes to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or qualified alien or non-immigrant with a Department of Homeland Security alien number, and applicants must be at least 21 years old.

A felony or misdemeanor conviction, or a nolo contendere plea, within five years before applying disqualifies the applicant, as does any prior pawnshop license suspension or revocation tied to the applicant's business associates. Section 22-93 requires the application to go through the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, with a $25.00 license fee plus a $250.00 investigative fee, full fingerprinting submitted to the Georgia Crime Information Center and FBI, and board of commissioners approval at a public hearing. Once licensed, section 22-96 limits hours of operation to 7:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Section 22-126 requires a permanent transaction record book with the customer's name, age, address, driver's license number, fingerprint, and a description of every pledged item, kept for at least four years, and section 22-127 requires a daily 9:00 a.m. report to the sheriff's office with photographs of both the item and the seller. Section 22-91(e) carves out firearms and knives entirely: Georgia's O.C.G.A. § 16-11-173(b) and § 16-11-136(b) bar the county from regulating them under this article, though pawnbrokers still must follow the state's separate firearm record-keeping law.