Portage County, WI Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Sec. 2.23.3 bars operating as a pawnbroker in Portage County without first obtaining a pawnbroker license under Sec. 2.23, or a license from a municipality within the county, so the requirement applies only in the towns and any city or village that has not adopted its own pawnbroker ordinance. Sec. 2.23.5 routes the written application to the Portage County Clerk on Sheriff's Office-approved forms, requiring the applicant's identifying information, business address, corporate or partnership structure, any criminal or forfeiture convictions, prior use of other names, and any prior denial, revocation, or suspension of a pawnbroker license elsewhere, plus a zoning certification.

Sec. 2.23.6 has the Sheriff's Office investigate every applicant, officer, partner, member, manager, or proprietor and report its findings to the Clerk. Under Sec. 2.23.7, the Clerk grants the license once the applicant clears the arrest and conviction check, or after Public Safety/Emergency Management Committee review if a record turns up, and the applicant must post a $2,500.00 bond with at least two sureties covering compliance with county, state, and federal law; the license runs from January 1 through the following December 31 and cannot be transferred.

Sec. 2.23.2 lets the Sheriff's Office enter the licensed premises and any off-site storage facility during business hours to inspect goods and records, and Sec. 2.23.4 requires the license to be displayed where anyone entering the premises can see it.