Milton, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- Milton Common Council
- Bond required
- $1,000 with 2+ sureties
- Background check window
- Prior 10 years
- License term
- July 1 to July 30 next year
- Transaction reporting
- To police within 48 hours
- Penalty range
- $50-$1,000 per day
Summary
The City of Milton requires a common council-issued license before anyone operates as a pawnbroker within city limits. Applicants post a $1,000 bond and pass a police background check covering the prior ten years before the license is granted.
No individual, partnership, corporation or other for-profit entity shall do business as a pawnbroker, secondhand article dealer or secondhand jewelry dealer without first having obtained a license for that purpose as provided for herein in this article. ... The applicant provides to the city clerk a bond of $1,000.00 with not less than two sureties for the observation of all municipal ordinances or state or federal laws relating to pawn from brokers, secondhand article dealers or secondhand jewelry dealers, as may be applicable to the applicant. The bond must be in full force and effect at all times during the term of the license. ... Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article may, upon conviction, have their license revoked and shall further be punished by a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $1,000.00. Each day's violation constitutes a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Under the City of Milton Code of Ordinances Chapter 14, Article XII, no individual, partnership, corporation or other for-profit entity may do business as a pawnbroker without first obtaining a license from the city. Applications go to the city clerk and must disclose the applicant's residence history for the prior five years, business ownership structure, and any felony or misdemeanor convictions in the preceding ten years. The police chief or a designee investigates every applicant and reports findings in writing to the clerk. The common council may only grant the license if the applicant's criminal history, if any, does not substantially relate to pawnbroking, and if the applicant posts a $1,000 bond with at least two sureties that stays in force for the full license term.
Licenses run from July 1 to July 30 of the following year, cannot be transferred, and must be displayed conspicuously on the premises. Pawnbrokers must record detailed transaction data in a police-approved computerized system, photograph unmarked pledged items, and report every reportable transaction to the Milton Police Department within 48 hours. Items held as security must stay on the premises unaltered for at least 30 days, giving the rightful owner a redemption window and police time to place an investigative hold, an order to hold, or an order to confiscate on suspected stolen property.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Article XII can result in license revocation and a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $1,000.00, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. Failure to transmit required transaction reports within 48 hours can also trigger a $10.00 daily reporting-failure fee until the error is fixed.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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