Miami-Dade County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual tax
- $300 (Sec. 8A-223.1 schedule)
- Records
- Full transaction ledger, open to police
- Reports
- Monthly, to MDPD Director
- Max penalty
- 6 months in County Jail
- Scope
- Countywide, all 34 municipalities
Summary
Pawnbrokers countywide must hold a $300 local business tax receipt, keep a full transaction ledger, and report monthly to police.
Every person engaged in the business of pawnbroker shall pay a local business tax as provided for in the schedule of taxes, Section 8A-223.1. ... Pawnbrokers shall keep a complete and true record of all transactions, showing from whom each article of their stock was purchased or pledged, the date of the transaction and the date and to whom each article was sold, which record shall at all times be subject to the inspection of all police or peace officers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Anyone doing business as a pawnbroker in Miami-Dade County must pay the local business tax under Section 8A-223.1's schedule, currently $300, before opening. Pawnbrokers must keep a complete and true record of every transaction, who each pledged or purchased item came from, the transaction date, and to whom and when it was sold, and that ledger must stay open to inspection by any police or peace officer at all times. Receipted pawnbrokers also owe monthly reports to the Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department covering the same recordkeeping data, on forms the department prescribes. Someone licensed under Florida's small-loan law (F.S. ch. 516) may not also act as a pawnbroker. This is the countywide Article IX version of the licensing scheme (Sec. 8A-209/8A-210); a nearly identical unincorporated-area-only pair exists at Sec. 8A-240/8A-240.1 for UMSA reporting through the Sheriff.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the receipt, or failing to file the monthly transaction report, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in the County Jail (doing-business-without-a-receipt carries up to double the tax as a fine, or jail, or both).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside cities like Miami or Hialeah?
What records must a pawnshop keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.