Lakewood, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Township of Lakewood Code § 4-9.2 defines a pawnbroker as any person or entity 'lending money on deposit or pledge of personal property... purchasing personal property on condition of selling it back at a stipulated price; or doing business as furniture storage warehousemen and lending money on goods, wares or merchandise pledged or deposited as collateral security.' A pawnbroker is treated as a 'dealer' under § 4-9.3 and cannot operate without a Municipal Clerk license, issued only after a Chief of Police background investigation covering criminal history and business reputation (§ 4-9.4).

Every pledged or purchased item must be photographed individually along with the seller and the seller's ID, entered into an approved electronic database by the close of the same business day, and held for inspection at least 10 business days before it can be sold, disposed of or melted (§ 4-9.5, § 4-9.6a). Each pawnbroker must deliver a $10,000 surety bond to the Municipal Clerk (§ 4-9.7) and pay a $400 nonrefundable initial fee and $400 annual renewal fee (§ 4-9.8). Records of every transaction must be kept for at least five years (§ 4-9.6d). Section 4-9.10c preserves the separate state pawnbroker statute, N.J.S.A. 45:22-1 et seq., alongside these local requirements.