Anne Arundel County, MD Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License issuer
- Anne Arundel County Department
- First license fee
- $250
- Each additional employee
- $50
- License expires
- April 30 annually
- Insurance required
- $300,000 liability, $100,000 property
Summary
Anne Arundel County requires a Department-issued license to operate as a pawnbroker, with a $250 fee for the first licensee and $50 for each additional worker at the same shop.
License required. A person may not do business as a pawnbroker without a license issued by the Department.
(c) Standards. No person required to obtain a pawnbroker's license may have:
(1) ever been convicted, held liable, or found to have committed acts involving moral turpitude, including any violation of federal, state, or local law or regulation;
(2) ever had a judgment entered in an action for fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation by any court of competent jurisdiction;
(3) associations with individuals known to have engaged in organized crime or racketeering;
(4) a financial relationship with any person known to have engaged in organized crime or racketeering;
(5) had direct managerial or supervisory control over an enterprise in which there was a pattern of cheating, fraud, or employee dishonesty; or
(6) engaged in any other conduct that the Director determines to be a threat to the integrity of pawnbrokering.
(d) Fee. The fee for a pawnbroker's license for the first individual licensed to work at a pawnshop is $250. The fee for each additional individual licensed at the same pawnshop is $50.
(e) Insurance. A person who acts as a pawnbroker may not undertake to do any work within the County unless the person carries general liability insurance in the amount of $300,000 and property damage insurance in the amount of $100,000.
(f) Contents of license. A license shall designate the address where the
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Anyone doing business as a pawnbroker in Anne Arundel County must hold a license from the county Department, which expires every April 30. Applicants are disqualified for a record of moral turpitude, a fraud or misrepresentation judgment, or ties to organized crime or racketeering, and must carry $300,000 general liability and $100,000 property damage insurance. The first license issued for a pawnshop costs $250, with each additional employee licensed at the same shop costing $50 more. Pawnbrokers must also submit daily transaction records to the Police Department describing every item pawned. Any violation of these rules is grounds for license revocation.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker without this license, or violating any licensing provision, is a Class D civil offense: $125 for a first violation, $500 for a second, $1,000 for a third or later, plus license revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a pawnshop in Glen Burnie or Severna Park?
How much does an Anne Arundel County pawnbroker license cost?
What disqualifies someone from getting a pawnbroker license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
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