Lawton, OK Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Article 7-15 of the Lawton City Code regulates pawnbrokers directly. Section 7-15-1-1502(A) requires that no person shall engage in business as a pawnbroker in the city unless the person has obtained a pawnbroker's license from the state's administrator of consumer credit, and it sets an annual city regulatory fee of fifty dollars for each place of business, due no later than April 30 each year; pawnbrokers who miss that payment are reported to the state administrator of consumer credit. The fee is nontransferable between locations or owners under subsection B.

Section 7-15-1-1503 layers a zoning restriction on top of the license, confining pawnshops within the city to a C-5 commercial district, and any new pawnshop that has not previously been licensed by the state or regulated by the city cannot open for transactions until it satisfies the city's zoning requirements. Once operating, pawnbrokers must keep books, accounts and transaction records open to inspection by the chief of police under Section 7-15-1-1504, and Section 7-15-1-1505 requires reporting every buy and pawn transaction to the police department within three days, including the customer's name, address, government-issued ID number, and a description of the item with serial and model numbers.

Section 7-15-1-1507 bars pawnbrokers from accepting a pledge from anyone under 18, charging for pledge insurance, or entering a pawn transaction that matures more than one month out.