Clark County, NV Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Surety bond
- $10,000 bond required per license
- Background check
- LVMPD fingerprinting and investigation mandatory
- License cap
- One license per town under 100,000
- Minimum age
- Applicants must be at least 21
- Enforcing agency
- Business License Director & County Commissioners
Summary
Clark County caps pawnshop licenses by unincorporated-town population and requires LVMPD fingerprinting and investigation of every owner, officer, and manager before the county issues a license.
All applicants for licensure including sole proprietors, partners and owners holding ten percent or more stock, officers and managers shall present themselves to the LVMPD for investigation and fingerprinting.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147).
Full Breakdown
Clark County Code Chapter 6.24 requires every pawnbroker, pawnshop, or motor-vehicle-pawn applicant to obtain a license from the business license director. Sole proprietors, partners, owners holding ten percent or more stock, officers, and managers must present themselves to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for fingerprinting and a background investigation before the director forwards findings to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. Licensees must also post a $10,000 surety bond. The county caps the number of pawnshop licenses per unincorporated town by population, starting at one license until a town exceeds 100,000 residents, then one per additional 50,000.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker, pawnshop, or motor-vehicle-pawn business without a license, or without posting the license certificate and chapter provisions conspicuously, is unlawful; the Board of County Commissioners can revoke a license after a show-cause hearing for willful violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clark County's pawnbroker code apply on the Las Vegas Strip?
Is there a limit on how many pawnshops Clark County will license?
What background check must a pawnbroker applicant pass?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clark County
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