Lee's Summit, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual license fee
- $500, non-refundable, due yearly
- Investigation fee
- $500 new pawnshop; $250 additional location
- Required bond
- $5,000 surety bond per license
- Net assets required
- $50,000 unencumbered, verified by CPA or balance sheet
- Redemption window
- 60 days past maturity before forfeiture
- Minimum pledgor age
- 18 years old
- Licensing authority
- Chief of Police investigates; City Council approves
Summary
Lee's Summit requires every pawnshop operator to hold a City business license plus a separate pawnbroker license under Code of Ordinances § 24-62. The Chief of Police investigates each applicant, who must show $50,000 in net assets, post a $5,000 surety bond, and pay a $500 annual fee before the City Council approves the license.
A.No person shall operate a pawnshop or carry on business as a pawnbroker within the City unless such person obtains a business license and a pawnbroker license issued by the City pursuant to this article.B.A license is required of every pawnbroker for each place where such business is transacted and it shall be unlawful for anyone to act as agent or solicitor for any pawnbroker while such pawnbroker is engaged in such business at a place other than that specified in the license.C.Each lender shall employ a reputable company for the purposes of fire and theft security.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 | Unified Development Ordinance: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
City Code Article III (§§ 24-60–24-77) governs anyone who lends money against pledged goods or buys items on the condition they may be redeemed. Applicants file a notarized affidavit with the Chief of Police disclosing residency, ownership, prior felony or misdemeanor convictions, and proof of a Missouri Director of Revenue retail sales license, per § 24-64. The Chief of Police supervises a background and financial investigation under § 24-65, and the applicant pays a non-refundable investigation fee of $500 for a new pawnshop license or $250 for an additional location.
Section 24-66 sets the annual license fee at $500, non-refundable and non-transferable, due at approval and again each year at renewal. 060. Section 24-68 requires proof of at least $50,000 in net assets, unencumbered by liens, verified by an independent CPA's review or a balance sheet showing current assets exceed liabilities by that amount. Once licensed, § 24-69 requires a receipt for every pledge showing the pledgor's ID number, the loan amount, the pawn service charge, and the 60-day maturity date, plus a photograph of every pledgor and a weekly copy of the transaction register delivered to the Police Department under § 24-70.
Section 24-72 gives a defaulting pledgor 60 days past maturity to redeem goods before title passes to the pawnbroker outright. Section 24-73 bars pawnbrokers from taking a pledge from anyone under 18 or accepting goods they have reason to believe are stolen.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pawnshop without both licenses, or violating any rule in Article III or RSMo §§ 367.011-367.060, is grounds for the City Council to suspend or revoke the pawnbroker license under § 24-77, the same section that bars issuance to anyone who does not meet the article's requirements. A licensee facing suspension or revocation has the right to a public hearing before the Council. Chapter 24 sets no separate fine for this article, so a violation otherwise falls under the citywide penalty in § 1-13: up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee's Summit
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