Sanford, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 98-99 sets the "Pawnbroker" classification at $187.50 a year, one of the higher flat fees on the schedule, above the $150.00 charged to an automobile dealer and close to the $200.00 rate for an auctioneer or a loan company. In the Land Development Regulations, § 11.2 defines "Pawnshop" with unusual precision: the premises' primary use is as a pawnbroker, more than 50 percent of the goods sold are used merchandise and generally not antiques, the business identification or signage carries the word "pawn," "pawnbroker," or a similar derivative, the operator is licensed in the City of Sanford as a pawnbroker, and it purchases used merchandise "off-the-street" from individuals for cash and resale; the definition separately notes that bail bond businesses are regulated under Florida Statutes chapters 648 and 903 rather than treated as pawnshops.

Section 98-91(a) requires the local business tax receipt before the pawnshop opens, and § 98-91(b) requires a separate receipt for each location. Section 98-93(b) runs the tax year from July 1 through September 30, and unpaid tax draws a 10 percent penalty in October plus 5 percent for each additional month, capped at 25 percent of the tax due. A pawnshop is distinct from the "Secondhand store" use defined in the same § 11.2, which explicitly excludes pawnshops from its own definition.