Lawrence, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Before engaging in pawnbroking, Sec. 6-502
- Residency requirement
- 2 years as a Kansas resident
- Age minimum
- 21 years old
- Felony lookback
- 10 years, any state or federal
- State registration required
- K.S.A. § 79-3608 revenue certificate
- Inspection authority
- Chief of police, any time, Sec. 6-508
Summary
In the City of Lawrence, no one may open or keep running a pawnshop without first obtaining a city pawnbroker license, and every application must disclose the owners, the business address, operating hours, and proof of a valid state revenue-department registration under K.S.A. § 79-3608.
No person shall engage or continue in business as a pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor. Application for such license shall be in writing and shall state the full name and place of residence of the applicant; or if the applicant be a partnership, of each member thereof; or if a corporation or association, of each officer, shareholder or member thereof, together with the address of the place or places where the business is to be conducted and the hours of the days of the week during which the applicant proposes to engage in the business of pawnbroking at each such place, and such other information as may be necessary to determine the applicant's qualifications for a license. ... (a)A statement that the person is the holder of a valid registration certificate issued by the director of revenue pursuant to K.S.A. § 79-3608 for each place of business for which application for a license is made;
Full Breakdown
Article V of chapter 6 licenses pawnbrokers, defined as anyone who loans money on a pledge of personal property or buys property on condition of selling it back at a set price, other than banks, credit unions, or state-supervised lenders (Sec. 6-501). § 79-3608 and a full inventory of goods already held in pawn or for sale. citizen, hasn't lived in Kansas for the two years before applying, has a felony conviction anywhere within the past ten years, is under 21, has previously had a pawnbroker license revoked for cause, doesn't own or lease at least three-fourths of the license term on the premises, or whose spouse would be disqualified on grounds other than age, citizenship, or residency (Sec.
6-503). Once licensed, every pawnbroker must keep a permanent, ink-only register describing each item taken, purchased, or received, along with the seller's name and address, the loan amount, interest, and due date, and must give the customer a matching written receipt at no charge (Secs. 6-506, 6-507). § 16-712 (Sec. 6-508), and an absolute purchase of property must stay on the premises, subject to that same inspection, for five days after the sale (Sec. 6-509).
Violations & Fines
A pawnbroker who buys or takes property from an intoxicated person, from someone the pawnbroker has reason to believe cannot lawfully sell it, from any source when the property is stolen, or from anyone under 18, violates section 6-510. A history of any violation of the pawnbroker article also blocks license renewal outright under section 6-502(c)(3), on top of whatever separate criminal exposure the underlying purchase creates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pawnshops need a license in the City of Lawrence?
Who is disqualified from getting a pawnbroker license in Lawrence?
What records must a Lawrence pawnbroker keep?
Can Lawrence police inspect a pawnshop without notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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