Shoreline, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License cap
- 1 per 15,000 residents, § 5.07.420
- Interest cap
- 3% per month on pledge loans, § 5.07.450
- Record retention
- 5 years, open to police, § 5.07.425/.440
- Weekly transcript
- due to Shoreline PD each week, § 5.07.435
- Resale hold
- 90 days after redemption expires, § 5.07.460
- Business hours
- closed 8 p.m.-7 a.m.; 10 p.m. Dec 1-24
Summary
Operating a pawnshop in the City of Shoreline without a pawnbroker's license is unlawful under SMC § 5.07.400. The city caps the number of pawnbroker licenses at one per 15,000 residents (§ 5.07.420), limits loan interest to three percent per month (§ 5.07.450), and requires pawnshops to close between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except during the December holiday season (§ 5.07.470).
§ 5.07.400. License required. ... It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to engage in the business of pawnbroker, or to conduct a pawnshop without first obtaining a “pawnbroker’s license” pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. ... ... § 5.07.420. Limitation on licensing. No pawnbroker’s license shall be issued which would increase the number of holders of such licenses to more than one for every 15,000 of population, according to the last preceding federal census. ... ... § 5.07.450. Authorized rate of interest – Penalty for violation. All pawnbrokers are authorized to charge and receive interest at the rate of three percent per month, for any loan on the security of personal property actually received in pledge ... ... § 5.07.470. Pawnshop to be closed during certain hours. It is unlawful for any pawnbroker to conduct or carry on the business of the pawnbroker ... between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except from December 1st to December 24th of each year, when pawnbrokers may remain open until 10:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
Shoreline regulates pawnbrokers under SMC §§ 5.07.400 through 5.07.475. A pawnbroker's license is mandatory before taking any item in pledge or opening a pawnshop (§ 5.07.400), and the city caps the total number of active licenses to one for every 15,000 residents counted in the last federal census (§ 5.07.420), a hard ceiling on new entrants once that ratio is reached. Applicants file with the city clerk, and the Shoreline Police Department investigates and recommends approval or denial before a license issues or renews (§ 5.07.410).
Renewal is blocked until the pawnbroker files a personal property tax return with the King County assessor and pays any tax due (§ 5.07.415). Every pawnbroker must log each transaction, including the customer's name, address, physical description, and identifying details of the item pledged, and retain that record for five years, open to police inspection at all times (§ 5.07.425, § 5.07.440). A full transcript of the week's transactions must go to the Shoreline Police Department at the close of every business week (§ 5.07.435), and any suspected stolen property must be reported immediately (§ 5.07.435(B)).
Pawnbrokers may charge no more than three percent monthly interest on a pledge loan; exceeding that rate on redemption is itself a violation (§ 5.07.450). Property cannot be sold until 90 days after the redemption period expires (§ 5.07.460), and pawnshops must stay closed between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except they may stay open until 10:00 p.m. from December 1 through December 24 (§ 5.07.470). Knowingly pledging with, or accepting from, a minor, an intoxicated person, or a known thief is a separate unlawful transaction (§ 5.07.465).
Violations & Fines
Operating without a pawnbroker's license, exceeding the 3-percent monthly interest cap, falsifying or destroying required transaction records, selling redeemable property before the 90-day period runs, or accepting pledges from a minor or a known thief are each unlawful acts under SMC §§ 5.07.400, 5.07.430, 5.07.450, 5.07.460, and 5.07.465, punishable under Chapter 5.07's general misdemeanor penalty in § 5.07.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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