Roswell, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Business hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (9 p.m. Fri/Sat)
- Sunday operation
- Prohibited entirely
- License fee
- $300.00, in an individual's name
- Police access
- No warrant needed to search premises
- Minor transactions
- Banned for anyone under 18
- Weekly reports
- Due every Wednesday to chief of police
- Max penalty
- $2,000 fine or 180 days jail
Summary
Roswell, Georgia limits pawnbroker business hours to 8:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m., bans Sunday operation entirely, and requires a $300 annual license under Roswell Code of Ordinances Article 10.5. Pawnbrokers must let police search premises without a warrant, keep weekly transaction reports for the chief of police, and may not accept pledges or purchases from anyone under 18.
a pawnbroker is any person whose business is to lend money, usually in small sums, on security of personal property deposited with him or left in pawn... No pawnbroker shall open his place of business or conduct any business therein between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.; provided however, that such a place of business may remain open until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and until 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays... No pawnbroker shall open his place of business or conduct any business therein on Sunday... It shall be the duty of every pawnbroker to admit to his premises the chief of police or any other police officer who may desire at any time to search for articles missing or stolen... without the formality of a search warrant... No pawnbroker shall receive any article in pawn or purchase any article for resale from any person under eighteen (18) years of age... A pawnbroker's license must be taken out in the name of an individual, even though such business is operated as a partnership or a corporation. The license fee for a pawnbroker is $300.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Article 10.5 of the Roswell Code of Ordinances (Fulton County, Georgia) defines a pawnbroker as 'any person whose business is to lend money, usually in small sums, on security of personal property deposited with him or left in pawn, or whoever loans money on deposit of pledges of personal property or who purchases personal property or chooses in action on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price' (Section 10.5.1). Business hours are fixed by Section 10.5.2: no pawnbroker may open or conduct business between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., though the shop may stay open until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Section 10.5.3 bars Sunday operation altogether. Every pledge must be openly displayed for inspection (Section 10.5.4), and Section 10.5.5 requires pawnbrokers to admit the chief of police or any other officer to search for missing or stolen articles 'without the formality of a search warrant.' Section 10.5.7 requires pawnbrokers to log every transaction within one hour and to furnish the chief of police a weekly report, due each Wednesday, describing pledged or purchased property by maker, serial number and other identifying marks; those records stay open to police inspection under Section 10.5.8.
Section 10.5.9 forbids taking any article in pawn or buying any article for resale from a person under 18. Duration of pawn transactions and the redemption grace period follow state law, O.C.G.A. §§ 44-12-131 and 44-14-403 (Section 10.5.10). A pawnbroker's license must be taken out in an individual's name even if the business operates as a partnership or corporation, and the license fee is $300.00 (Section 10.5.11).
Violations & Fines
Article 10.5 carries no separate penalty clause, so violations default to the Code's general penalty at Section 1.1.3: a fine up to $2,000.00, up to 180 days' imprisonment, up to 180 days of community service, or a combination, at the municipal court judge's discretion. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and operating in violation is also grounds for the city administrator to refuse or revoke the license.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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