Greenville, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 3-2-28 of the City Code groups pawnbroker with bowling alley, billiard room, junk dealer, taxicab, dance hall, and limousine operators as businesses that cannot get a standard privilege license from the Collector of Revenue; instead the applicant must apply in writing directly to the City Council. The application must give the owner's name and address (and, for a corporation, the manager who will run the business), describe the character and location of the business, and answer anything else the Council asks. The Council can only grant a pawnbroker license if satisfied the applicant, or the corporate manager, is of good moral character, the location is suitable, and the business will comply with the Code and other laws; subsection (D) lets the Council refuse a license on any of those same three grounds.

Once granted, a license is tied to its named location and owner and cannot transfer to a different address, though it renews year to year at the same location and under the same ownership absent a revocation. The Code caps the citywide total at six pawnshop licenses. Once all six are issued, a would-be pawnbroker cannot simply wait; the applicant must file a written request with the City Council to be considered if an existing license is revoked, not renewed, or otherwise lapses, and the Council works through pending requests in the order filed.

A denied or revoked applicant can request a public hearing under Section 3-2-29, introduce evidence, be represented by counsel, and appeal an adverse Council decision to a court of competent jurisdiction. State law separately requires pawnbrokers to carry a $5,000 bond, referenced directly in the license list at subsection (A)(8).