Fullerton, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Fullerton Municipal Code § 3.52.010 defines a PAWNBROKER as anyone loaning money on personal property or pledges, or buying and reselling articles at a price agreed upon before the purchase, and § 3.52.020 defines the PAWNSHOP as the room or place where that business is carried on. Like every other business named in Chapter 3.52, a pawnbroker cannot open without first applying to the Chief of Police for a permit under § 3.52.060, submitting a physical description, business address, any prior permit denials from any state or municipality, criminal history, a recent 2x2 photograph, fingerprints and two character references from county property owners, alongside a $100 initial fee and $25 annual renewal paid to the City Treasurer.

Beyond that shared licensing framework, § 3.52.230(B) imposes a rule specific to pawnbrokers and personal property brokers: the business, or any part of it, cannot be conducted in the same establishment used for any other business or in a retail or wholesale store, and no entrance or exit to the pawnshop may open into another business; it must open directly onto a public street or public place, or, above the street floor in an office building, onto the public hallway. Pawnbrokers must also file daily reports to the Police Department describing every pledged or purchased item, the seller's name and address, and whether the seller is under 18, per § 3.52.140, and keep duplicate records open to police inspection under § 3.52.150.

Business hours are capped between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. under § 3.52.210, and a permit lasts one year and cannot be transferred under § 3.52.100.