Saint Paul, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- § 344.01, no exceptions
- Surety bond
- $5,000, city attorney-approved
- Redemption period
- minimum 90 days
- Resale hold on purchases
- 30 days
- Business hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. only
- Daily reporting
- Automated Pawn System via modem
- Record retention
- 3 years transactions, 90 days photos
Summary
Running a pawnshop in Saint Paul requires a city pawnbroker license under Legislative Code § 344.01, plus a $5,000 surety bond under § 344.03(b). Licensees must report every transaction to police daily via the Automated Pawn System, photograph each customer and item, and hold pledged goods for a minimum 90-day redemption period before they can be sold.
No person shall exercise, carry on or be engaged in the trade or business of pawnbroker in Saint Paul without a license. No pawnbroker license may be transferred from location to location or from person to person. [Sec. 344.01] ... Before any person shall be licensed as a pawnbroker, such applicant shall file a bond in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) with a duly licensed surety company as surety thereon, such surety bond to be approved as to form by the city attorney. [Sec. 344.03(b)]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
01 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code bars anyone from carrying on the pawnbroker trade without a city license, and a license can never be transferred between locations or owners. 03(a) requires the police chief to investigate the applicant and bars anyone previously convicted of theft, burglary, receiving stolen property, or a controlled-substance sale from holding a license. 03(b)). 04 imposes heavy recordkeeping: every reportable transaction must be logged with the item's description, the seller's name, date of birth, address, and a physical description, plus a photocopy of government ID, transmitted to police daily through the Automated Pawn System (APS) via modem, with a color photo or video of the customer and any unnumbered item. Records must be kept at least three years, and photos at least 90 days. 04(m)). 05). 06.
Violations & Fines
Pawnbroking without a city license violates § 344.01, and Chapter 344 makes any violation, including operating outside the 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. window, receiving goods from a minor, or failing to report transactions to the Automated Pawn System, a misdemeanor under § 344.06, on top of possible license suspension or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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