Las Cruces, NM Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Article VI of the Municipal Code, the Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers Ordinance, defines a pawnbroker in Sec. 16-328 as anyone who lends money on a pledge of personal property, buys property with an agreement to sell it back at a set price, or buys and resells gold, silver, platinum or other precious metals and gems. Sec. 16-329 ties the pawnbroker's license requirements, revocation and penalties to the general business licensing framework in Article IV, where Sec. 00. Before opening, Sec. 00 corporate surety bond to the city, conditioned on operating according to the ordinance and other laws, with 30 days' written notice to the community development department before the bond can be cancelled.

Sec. 16-332 requires a daily report of every item pawned or purchased, including the item's description, serial number, the date and type of transaction, and the seller's identification, all submitted through LeadsOnline, the online law-enforcement reporting system, and made available to the Las Cruces Police Department within three days. A photo ID is required from every person pawning or selling merchandise. Sec. 16-334(a) bars a pawnbroker from selling or disposing of pawned property, except by redemption, for 120 days from the pawn date or 90 days after the debt becomes due, whichever is later. Sec. 16-336 bars purchases from anyone under 18 or apparently intoxicated, and Sec. 16-338 bars accepting an item with a defaced serial number.