Sandy, UT Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Sandy City Code Ch. 15-7
- License required section
- § 15-7-2
- Background check
- Sandy Police Department, § 15-7-3
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, § 15-7-11
- Location rule
- Fixed permanent location only, § 15-7-4
Summary
Sandy requires every pawnbroker to hold a City license before operating, with a mandatory Sandy Police Department background investigation on the individual applicant and business allowed only from a fixed, permanent location under Chapter 15-7.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to carry on the business or carry on a transaction of antique dealer, coin dealer, junk dealer, junk collector, pawnbroker, scrap metal processor, secondary metals dealer or recycler, secondhand merchandise dealer without previously having obtained a license to operate in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. A separate license shall be required for each location and for the conduct of business by each dealer.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 15-7, Pawnbroker And Secondhand Merchandise Dealer Regulations, defines a pawnbroker in Section 15-7-1 as a person whose business loans money on deposits of personal property, deals in purchase or exchange of property conditioned on selling it back to the pledgor, takes chattel mortgage security and sells unredeemed pledges, deals in used or secondhand merchandise, or operates a licensed pawnshop. Section 15-7-2 makes it unlawful to carry on the business of pawnbroker, among other listed occupations, without first obtaining a license, with a separate license required for each location and each dealer.
Section 15-7-3 requires the application to contain information the Chief of Police and Community Development Department deem necessary, and bars issuance until the Sandy Police Department completes a background investigation on the individual applicant and recommends favorable consideration; no applicant may conduct business until approved by police and compliant with all bonding provisions. Section 15-7-4 confines the license to the fixed permanent location named in the application, barring issuance to a motel, hotel room, home occupation, or temporary location, and requiring a separate license before relocating or opening an additional site.
Pawnbrokers must comply with Utah Code Title 11 Chapter 6 and Title 13 Chapter 32a under Section 15-7-6, and may submit digital photographs of pawned or purchased items to the Sandy Police Department to help identify property. Fees are set by City Council resolution under Section 15-7-5, with a disproportionate fee that can be waived, in whole or part, for pawnbrokers that maintain the state's required registers, transmit them to the state's central database, and submit photographs to police. Section 15-7-9 lets the City refuse, suspend, revoke, or decline to renew a license for chapter or law violations, a similar license being revoked elsewhere, or a theft or stolen-property conviction within the past five years, with a hearing available under Section 15-7-10 before any such action.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker without a Sandy City license, or after a license suspension or revocation, is a class B misdemeanor under Section 15-7-11. A license may be refused, suspended, or revoked for chapter or state-law violations, a prior license revocation elsewhere, or a theft/stolen-property conviction within five years under Section 15-7-9.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Sandy pawnshop need a police background check?
Can a pawnbroker operate from a temporary location in Sandy?
What can revoke a Sandy pawnbroker license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandy
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