Rialto, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

04 folds pawnbrokers into the state law definition of 'secondhand dealer' in Business and Professions Code Section 21626, and RMC Sec. 090 requires every pawnbroker, along with other dealers covered by the chapter, to obtain and display a police-chief-issued permit before opening. The $60 annual fee is paid on the same schedule as the general city business license, but the permit itself is regulatory, not a substitute for that license, and is not a franchise. Beyond the permit, RMC Sec. 030 requires a pawnbroker to keep every item received on deposit or purchased intact in its original condition for ten calendar days, exhibit it to the police chief or a designated officer on request, and maintain a written record of every sale and purchase, including a fingerprint impression from each person who pawns, trades, or sells property.

RMC Sec. 050 layers on a daily reporting duty: every pawnbroker or loan broker must deliver a full report to the police department before noon each day except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, describing the hour of receipt, the person pledging or selling the item, and a photocopy of that person's government ID. RMC Sec. 040 bars disposing of pawned property within ten days unless the police chief authorizes earlier disposition for good cause specified by the Department of Justice, and any early sale must still be reported to the chief.