Pawnbrokers face a separate Providence license, surety bond, and Rhode Island state interest cap. All loans must be reported daily to police along with collateral photographs and seller identification.
Providence pawnbrokers operate under both the Board of Licenses and Rhode Island General Laws title 19 chapter 26. Operators must post a surety bond, comply with the statewide interest-rate cap, hold pledged items at least 14 days, and let pledgers redeem goods on payment of principal plus capped interest. Police inspect logs, and Providence increasingly uses LeadsOnline real-time reporting. Pawn shops cannot accept items from anyone under 18 or anyone appearing intoxicated. Repeat compliance failures lead to license suspension or revocation.
Charging excess interest, taking items from minors, or skipping daily police reports leads to fines, license loss, and state-level enforcement under RI title 19.
See how Providence's pawnbrokers rules stack up against other locations.
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