Kirkland, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $100 per year, non-prorated
- Pledged-property hold
- 15 days minimum, extendable 15 more
- Records retained on
- Every pledge, purchase or transaction
- Interest cap
- Rate set by RCW Chapter 19.60
- License expiration
- December 31 each year
Summary
Kirkland requires pawnbrokers to hold a $100 annual city license, hold pledged property untouched for 15 days after reporting it to police, and keep detailed transaction records open to police inspection.
No property bought or received in pledge by any pawnbroker shall be removed from his or her place of business before fifteen days have elapsed since the receipt thereof was reported to the chief of police. A police officer may place a hold of up to fifteen additional days upon the property if the item is potential evidence. The police officer shall make an entry upon the permanent record required by this chapter indicating how long the property is to be held. The pawnbroker shall then: (1) Tag or specifically identify the item; (2) Hold it in place on the business premises of the pawnbroker, to which the police officer shall have access at any time during regular business hours; (3) Keep the item safe from alteration, loss, damage or commingling with other goods.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
KMC Chapter 7.36 licenses and regulates pawnbrokers alongside secondhand and coin dealers. KMC 7.36.030 requires every person or firm to obtain a license before commencing a pawnbroker, secondhand dealer or coin dealer business, in addition to any general business license under Chapter 7.02. KMC 7.36.050 sets the fee at $100 per year, non-prorated and non-assignable, paid to the director of finance and administration. A pawnbroker is defined at KMC 7.36.020(c) as anyone engaged in loaning money on the security of pledges, deposits or conditional sales of personal property.
KMC 7.36.060 requires a permanent English-language ledger recording, for every pledge, the date, the pledgor's identifying details and picture ID, a detailed description of the item (including watch case/works numbers, jewelry markings, and firearm caliber and action type), the amount loaned, and the pawn ticket number; KMC 7.36.070 keeps those records and all goods open to inspection by the prosecuting attorney or any peace officer during business hours, and lets police seize suspected stolen items. KMC 7.36.080 bars a pawnbroker from releasing pledged property until 15 days have elapsed since the police chief was notified of its receipt, with the chief able to extend a hold up to 15 more days if the item is potential evidence; during the hold the item must be tagged, kept on-premises, and never altered or commingled.
KMC 7.36.090 caps interest on pledge loans at the rate authorized by RCW Chapter 19.60. Licenses expire December 31 each year and are subject to revocation for cause or any law violation under KMC 7.36.040.
Violations & Fines
KMC 7.36.120 makes it a misdemeanor for a pawnbroker or employee to fail to record a transaction, falsify or destroy records, refuse a records inspection, release pledged property before the 15-day hold under KMC 7.36.080 expires, or accept property from a minor, an intoxicated person, or a known thief. Operating without the KMC 7.36.030 license is separately unlawful, and licenses are revocable for cause under KMC 7.36.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must a Kirkland pawnbroker hold pledged property before releasing it?
What does a Kirkland pawnbroker license cost?
Can Kirkland police inspect a pawnshop's records?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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