Rancho Cordova, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License type
- Special business license, RCMC Ch. 4.10 & 4.30
- Issuing authority
- Chief of Police
- Weekly report due
- 10:00 a.m. every Saturday
- Resale hold
- 1 week after filing pledge report
- Prohibited hours
- Midnight-7am Sat-Mon; 7pm-7am other nights
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Rancho Cordova bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker without a special business license issued under RCMC Chapters 4.10 and 4.30. The police chief administers the license, and pawnbrokers must file a weekly report of every pledged or purchased item, keep full transaction records, and observe strict operating hours before lending money on personal property.
§ 4.30.005. License required. ... It is unlawful for any person to operate or conduct the business of pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector, unless under and by authority of a valid, unexpired and unrevoked special business license issued pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 4.10 RCMC and this chapter. § ... 4.30.010. ... Definitions. ... "Pawnbroker" shall mean a person engaged in conducting, managing or carrying on the business of pawnbroking, or the business of lending money for himself or any other person upon personal property, pawns or pledges; or the business of purchasing articles from the vendors or their assignees at prices agreed upon at or before the time of such purchase.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4660102; v2 updated 2026-03-02; through 03-02-2026).
Full Breakdown
30. 040(C) unless a listed applicant has actually been convicted of an offense described in Business and Professions Code § 21641, and the same conviction standard applies before the chief can revoke it. 020, describing each item and the person who left it, including physical description details such as height, age and complexion. 030 requires a parallel permanent record open to inspection by any officer. 040. 045, except for motor vehicles cleared through the DMV. 050 bars operating a pawnbroker business on the same premises as a junk dealer business.
055, a pawnbroker cannot accept property from an intoxicated person or from a minor without signed parental consent. m. on any other day. 090 requires the pawnbroker to immediately telephone the chief of police upon receiving property the pawnbroker knows or should know is stolen.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 4.30 carries no standalone penalty clause, so RCMC § 1.01.190(E) applies: operating without the required license, missing a weekly report, or violating the posted hours is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The chief of police may also suspend or revoke the special business license itself under RCMC § 4.10.135.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city license to open a pawnshop in Rancho Cordova?
How often must a pawnbroker report transactions to police?
When can a Rancho Cordova pawnbroker resell a pledged item?
What hours can a pawnshop accept pledges or loans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cordova
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