Hoover, AL Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Sec. 8-331 of the Hoover Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to engage in the business of buying or offering to buy gold or silver, or other gold or silver objects, or to loan money against such items as surety, anywhere in the city without first obtaining a permit and license. Sec. 8-330 defines a pawnbroker as any person who lends money upon a pawn, pledge or deposit of tangible personal property, with a single such transaction enough to bring a person under the article.

To apply, Sec. 8-332 requires filing with the city clerk and disclosing the applicant's name, date of birth, and both residence and business addresses; the character of any business the applicant ran in the prior two years and where; the street address and operating dates of the proposed business; the identity and history of everyone who will help run it; the security measures proposed to safeguard purchases and premises; the type of ownership evidence the applicant will demand from sellers before buying; and a copy of the bill-of-sale form the business will use.

Under Sec. 8-333, the chief of police examines each application to confirm it is complete and that granting it will not violate state law or a city ordinance; once the chief and the city clerk approve it, the clerk issues the permit and license after the applicant pays the required fee. Sec. 8-334 lets the city council revoke or refuse to renew a permit for any violation of the pawnbroker article, for violating or knowingly permitting violation of any city penal ordinance or state criminal law, or for filing an application containing an untrue or misleading statement, following a council hearing with at least one day's notice to the licensee. Sec. 8-338 separately bars pawnbrokers from buying or receiving any personal property, in pledge or otherwise, from a minor.