Plainfield, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Chapter 9, Article 6A of the Plainfield Municipal Code covers pawnbrokers and second hand dealers together under one license (§ 9:6A-1). The application is written, signed and filed with the License Bureau with the prescribed fees, and it lists the applicant's name, age and residence, the purpose of the license, the place of business, and the name, age and residence of each employee (§ 9:6A-2). The Mayor cannot grant a license to anyone convicted of violating a City, State or Federal law or a disorderly person provision involving moral turpitude, to anyone who misrepresented facts in the application, or, for a pawnbroker, to anyone without a valid State pawnbroker license under N.J.S.A. 45:22-1 et seq. The Mayor can also limit the number of licenses with Council approval (§ 9:6A-3).

The certificate names the licensee, the business address, every employee by name and address, the license number and the expiration date. The license period runs from June 1 to May 31 each year and the license hangs in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises at all times (§ 9:6A-4). The Schedule of Fees in § 9:17-1 lists $100 for a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer.

The record-keeping duties are the heart of the article. Every licensee keeps a full day-by-day record, in English, of every deposit, redemption, purchase and sale, with descriptions and distinguishing marks and numbers of each item, the sex, color, approximate height and age and any distinguishing features of the person dealing with the shop, the name and residence where known, and the money loaned or paid. A clear copy goes to the Chief of Police before 11:00 A.M. the next business day, or before 11:00 A.M. Monday for Saturday business (§ 9:6A-5). Changes in employees are reported to the License Bureau. A secondhand dealer holds purchased or consigned articles for 20 days before resale, and a pawnbroker holds pledged merchandise for one year from the loan, or as State law otherwise provides (§ 9:6A-6). The record of each purchaser's name, address and date of purchase stays open to Police Division inspection (§ 9:6A-7).