Modesto, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License tax
- $16.00 per quarter
- Governing section
- MC § 6-1.222
- License revocation trigger
- 6 months' delinquency (§6-1.121)
- Late payment penalty
- 5%/month, capped at 25%
- License posting
- Displayed conspicuously on premises
- Excluded from junk dealer ordinance
- MC § 4-21.03(a)(2)
Summary
Modesto taxes every pawnshop or pawnbroker operator $16 a quarter under a specific line item in the business license chapter, on top of the general license-application, posting, and non-transfer rules every licensed business must follow. The Finance Director can revoke the license after six months of unpaid taxes or unfiled reports.
6-1.222 - Pawnshop. Every person conducting, carrying on or managing a pawnshop or acting as pawnbroker, shall pay a license tax in the sum of sixteen dollars ($16.00) per quarter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
00 for every person conducting, carrying on, or managing a pawnshop or acting as a pawnbroker in Modesto, a rate carried over unchanged from Ordinance No. as last amended by Ordinance No. in 1990. 110. 120, except that the Director must refuse renewal if the licensee is delinquent in any charge or required report. 131. 03(a)(2)), the quarterly business license tax in Chapter 1 is the operative local licensing mechanism for pawnshops in Modesto, distinct from the state-level pawnbroker reporting duties under the Business and Professions and Financial Codes.
Violations & Fines
Failure to pay the $16 quarterly tax on time triggers delinquency costs under Section 6-1.125: an additional 5 percent of the unpaid tax per month, capped at 25 percent, plus another 25 percent if the Director finds the nonpayment fraudulent. Section 6-1.121 lets the Director revoke a pawnbroker's license outright if taxes, costs, or required reports remain delinquent for six months. Refusing to let the Director or a police officer inspect the posted license under Section 6-1.123 requires the Director to file a complaint against the refusing party, and any unpaid tax, interest, or cost becomes a collectible debt to the City under Section 6-1.129, enforceable by civil action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a pawnshop license cost in Modesto?
Can Modesto revoke a pawnbroker's business license?
Is a Modesto pawnshop license transferable to a new owner?
Are pawnbrokers regulated under Modesto's junk dealer ordinance too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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