Haverhill, MA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Chapter 187, Pawnbrokers; Secondhand Articles; Old Gold, requires a City Council license before anyone carries on business as a pawnbroker, old-gold buyer, or secondhand-articles dealer under the authority of MGL c. 140, § 76 (§ 187-1). Every application is investigated and reported to the Council by the Chief of Police (§ 187-2). Licenses run from issuance to the following May 1, and licenses issued in April run a full year from that May 1 date; each pawnbroker or secondhand dealer must record positive, government-issued photo identification and the date of birth of every person who sells, pawns or pledges an item (§ 187-3).

The license fee is $100 per year for a pawnbroker or old-gold license and $50 per year for a secondhand-articles license, both renewable May 1 (§ 187-4). The City Council can revoke any license for violating a law, ordinance or Council order, and § 187-5 sets escalating fines of $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $150 for a third or later offense. Operators must keep a Chief of Police-approved ledger that cannot be erased or altered (§ 187-6A), hold every item purchased or pawned intact for at least 30 days without dismantling it (§ 187-6B), and keep a signed pledger card on file for seven years (§ 187-6C).

Section 187-7B bars pawnbrokers from lending against any firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun, and § 187-8 forbids loaning to or pawning from a minor. Every pawnbroker must also deliver a daily list of items purchased, pledged or pawned to the Chief of Police before noon each day (§ 187-9A).