Hanford, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee
- $100/year flat rate (§ 5.08.230)
- Distinct from finance companies
- § 5.08.130 excludes banks and pawnbrokers
- License required before operating
- § 5.04.020(A)
- Records confidentiality
- Protected under § 5.04.160(A), court order/PRA exceptions
- Revocation trigger
- Two consecutive late payments (§ 5.04.190(D)(1))
- Post-revocation bar
- One year before reapplying (§ 5.04.190(E))
- Criminal penalty
- Misdemeanor under Penal Code § 19
Summary
Pawnbrokers operating in Hanford pay a flat $100-a-year business license fee under Hanford Municipal Code § 5.08.230, separate from the gross-receipts schedule that governs most retail businesses. The code carves pawnbroking out as its own class: § 5.08.130's finance-company rate expressly excludes a bank or pawnbroker, so a pawnshop is licensed only under § 5.08.230, and it still must satisfy Chapter 5.04's general licensing, confidentiality and enforcement rules.
§ 5.08.230. Pawnbrokers. The business license fee for every person carrying on the business of pawnbroker shall be $100 per year. (Prior code § 3-1.226; Ord. 21-01 § 3, 2021) ... § 5.08.130. Finance companies. The business license fee for every person, other than a bank or pawnbroker, carrying on the business of buying and selling stocks, bonds or other securities or evidences of indebtedness of any kind for profit or of loaning money on the security of any stocks, bonds or other securities, or upon the security of livestock, furniture, household appliances or real estate, either as principal or agent, shall be $100 per year.
Full Breakdown
230 reads in full: the business license fee for every person carrying on the business of pawnbroker shall be $100 per year. 230 and cannot be double-billed under both sections. 030 that will show the business name, type, location and license expiration date. 150 would resolve the doubt by placing the business in the class which provides the highest business license fee to the city. 08 to disclose the business affairs, operations or information obtained by an investigation of the records of a licensee, subject only to disclosure required by court order or the California Public Records Act.
Violations & Fines
A pawnbroker who lets the license lapse faces automatic suspension under § 5.04.190(A), and the director of finance may revoke the license outright if fees go unpaid on time twice in a row, per § 5.04.190(D)(1); after revocation, the same person is barred from a new license for a similar business for one year under § 5.04.190(E). The director of finance can also issue an administrative citation under § 5.04.200, and a willful violation is a misdemeanor under Penal Code § 19 via § 5.04.210.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a pawnbroker license in Hanford?
Is a Hanford pawnshop billed as both a pawnbroker and a finance company?
Can Hanford disclose a pawnbroker's business records to the public?
What happens if a Hanford pawnbroker's license lapses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hanford
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