Huntington Beach, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $487.50 (Classification A rate)
- Issuing office
- City Treasurer, City of Huntington Beach
- Bond requirement
- Twice the bond's penal sum, if required
- Unlicensed operation penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine/6 months jail
- Late fee penalty
- 10% per month under Sec. 5.08.100
- Appeal window
- 15 days to City Clerk after suspension/revocation
Summary
Operating a pawnshop in Huntington Beach requires an annual business license taxed at $487.50 under Municipal Code Section 5.16.220, one of the highest flat license fees in the City's business tax schedule, on top of any bond the City Treasurer requires before issuing the license under Section 5.08.120.
§ 5.16.220. Pawnbroker. Every person conducting, managing, or operating a pawnbroker business shall pay a fee of $487.50 A. ... § 5.08.120. Bonds—Required When. Where, by the terms of this title, a bond is required to be furnished by any person accruing or applying for a license, such person shall, before the issuance to him or her of such license, deliver to the City Treasurer a bond, executed by any reliable surety company or by two personal sureties, each of whom is the owner of property within the City, of the value of twice the amount of the penal sum of the bond.
Full Breakdown
Section 5.08.010 makes it unlawful to conduct, manage or carry on a pawnbroker business in Huntington Beach without first obtaining a license from the City Treasurer, and Section 5.16.220 sets that license's annual tax at $487.50, one of the highest flat fees in the Title 5 rate schedule. Where the City Treasurer requires a bond as a condition of a particular license type, Section 5.08.120 requires the applicant to deliver to the City Treasurer, before the license issues, a bond from a reliable surety company or from two personal sureties who each own property in the City, in an amount worth twice the bond's penal sum, in a form the City Attorney approves under Section 5.08.130.
The written application required by Section 5.08.180 must disclose the exact nature of the business and the location where it will operate. Section 5.08.100 adds a 10% penalty for every month the license fee goes unpaid, and Section 5.08.290 lets the City Treasurer, code enforcement officers or police officers enter the pawnshop at any reasonable time and demand to see the license. A pawnbroker whose operation becomes detrimental to public health, morals or safety can have the license suspended or revoked by the City Treasurer under Section 5.08.300, with a right to appeal to the City Clerk within 15 days under Section 5.08.310.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pawnshop in Huntington Beach without the required license, or failing to post the license bond the City Treasurer requires, is a misdemeanor under Section 5.08.370, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of unlicensed operation charged as a separate offense under Section 1.16.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a pawnbroker license in Huntington Beach?
Does Huntington Beach require a bond to open a pawnshop?
What happens if a Huntington Beach pawnshop operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntington Beach
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