Livonia, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Livonia Code of Ordinances Ch. 5.63
- License certification
- Police chief and fire chief
- Required bond
- $3,000 corporate surety bond
- Bond duration after license ends
- 90 days
- Recordkeeping
- Daily transaction record
- Reporting
- Weekly to the chief of police
Summary
Livonia requires anyone engaging in the pawnbroker business to obtain a city license certified by the police and fire chiefs, post a $3,000 surety bond, and keep and weekly report a daily transaction record to the police department.
No person shall engage in the business of pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor and paying the fee prescribed in Section 5.03.170 of this code. No such license shall be granted except upon certification of the police chief and the fire chief. (Prior code § 4-1201) ... Before any such license is issued, the applicant therefor shall furnish a corporate surety bond in the penal sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) with sufficient surety to be approved by the city clerk, which bond shall be conditioned for the due observance during the time of the license of all laws of the state and all ordinances of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
63 governs pawnbrokers in three sections. 170 of the code; the license cannot be granted unless both the police chief and the fire chief certify the application. 020 requires the applicant, before the license issues, to furnish a corporate surety bond in the penal sum of $3,000, approved by the city clerk, conditioned on the licensee's compliance with all state laws and city ordinances during the license period. Anyone aggrieved by the licensee's actions has a right of action on the bond to recover money or damages, and the bond stays in force for 90 days after the license expires, is canceled, or any action on the bond terminates, whichever is later.
030 imposes ongoing recordkeeping duties: every licensee must keep a daily record of all persons transacted with and all property received, along with the disposition of each article, and must report that record weekly to the chief of police on forms the police chief prescribes. The chief of police has standing access to the daily record at all times, giving the department a continuous audit trail on pawned goods, which supports investigations into stolen property moving through licensed pawnshops.
Violations & Fines
Failing to hold a required pawnbroker license, or a licensee's failure to keep the mandated daily record or to file the weekly report with the chief of police, violates Chapter 5.63. The $3,000 surety bond gives any aggrieved person a direct right of action for money damages against the bond, independent of any city enforcement action, and remains collectible for 90 days after the license ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a pawnbroker need to operate legally in Livonia?
Does Livonia require pawnbrokers to post a bond?
What records must a Livonia pawnbroker keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livonia
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