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

Pawnbrokers sit under Article II of Chapter 18 of the City Code, the general business license article, and section 18-61 sets the price: "Pawnbroker, as defined by state law*: $150.00 per year." Secondhand dealers, as defined by state law, pay the same $150.00 per year. The state-law definition decides who counts as a pawnbroker, so Hemet borrows it instead of writing its own.

Section 18-45(a) makes it unlawful to carry on any business in the city without first obtaining a license and paying the fee. Under 18-45(b)(1), a separate license is required for each business and for each branch establishment or location, and each license evidences fee payment only, for the business at the location and in the manner designated on it. Section 18-45(b)(2) computes the fee as if each branch or separate fixed place were an independent business, so a pawnbroker with two storefronts pays the fee for each. Section 18-45(b)(3) adds a dual classification rule: if a business fits two fee categories with different bases, the basis that renders the highest fee applies.

The asterisk matters. Section 18-61 states that "*" means a certificate of compliance may be required, and section 18-45(g) spells out what that involves. The applicant files an application with the responsible official and produces evidence of residence addresses, the nature and location of the business, the names and addresses of three responsible persons who have known the applicant for more than three years, the time and places the applicant has been in the business, any convictions, and fingerprints plus the required state processing fee.

Once licensed, the holder must post the license in a conspicuous place on the premises of a fixed place of business (section 18-49(d)) and produce it whenever a police officer or licensing officer asks (section 18-49(c)). Under 18-49(g) the collector and deputies are appointed inspectors of licenses. They can enter a place of business free of charge at any reasonable time to demand the license for the current term, make arrests for violations, and file complaints in court.