Plymouth, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 1160.03 makes it unlawful to run a pawnbroker business in the City without a current license, and anyone already operating on the effective date had 60 days to get licensed or close. Section 1160.10 requires a $10,000.00 surety bond approved by the City Attorney before any license issues. Section 1160.12 requires licensees to record every reportable transaction in detail, including the seller's name, address, date of birth, and physical description, and to photograph or videotape each customer and any unserialized item; that data must upload daily to the state Automated Pawn System, with a $50.00-per-day penalty for uncorrected reporting failures caused by the licensee's own system.

Section 1160.13.A limits pawnshop hours to 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., and the same section bars purchases from minors or incompetent persons and requires payments over $250.00 to be made by traceable check or draft. Section 1160.12.F sets a 120-day minimum redemption period before a pledged item can be forfeited and sold, and Section 1160.12.G adds a separate 30-day holding period before any purchased or traded item can be resold. The Director of Public Safety can place an investigative hold on any item for up to 15 days, or a longer hold or confiscation order tied to a criminal case.

Section 1160.07 requires a Council hearing on every new license application, with mailed notice to property owners within 500 feet of the proposed shop. Violating any provision is a misdemeanor under Section 1160.18, and the Council may suspend or revoke a license after written notice and a public hearing under Section 1160.17.