Sparks, NV Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Sparks Municipal Code Section 5.32.020 makes it unlawful to conduct a pawnbroker or autopawn business in the city without first obtaining a license under Chapter 5.32 and the general licensing provisions in Chapters 5.12 and 5.16. Applications go through the revenue division of the finance department and are referred to the chief of police for investigation; the applicant and any partner or officer, plus any stockholder owning ten percent or more of a corporate applicant, must report to the Sparks Police Department for fingerprinting (Section 5.32.030).

Section 5.32.040 disqualifies anyone convicted within the preceding five years of a felony, a fraud-related crime, larceny, embezzlement or moral turpitude against an employer, unlawful drug distribution, or a pawn-industry law violation, along with anyone under eighteen or associated with organized crime. The city council reviews the chief's investigation report and votes to grant or deny the license (Section 5.32.060); licenses are not transferable to a new owner or location without council approval (Section 5.32.070). A license is presumed abandoned, and becomes void, if the pawnbroker ceases operating for sixty days, though a licensee can petition the city clerk for a hearing before the council for a waiver (Section 5.32.080).

Every loan or purchase must be logged in a permanent record with the customer's identification and a description of the property (Section 5.32.090), and licensees must deliver a daily transaction report to the chief of police before 10:00 a.m. every day except Sunday (Section 5.32.100). Pledged property must be held at least 120 days before disposal (Section 5.32.120(I)), and interest is capped at six percent per month plus a one-time charge not to exceed $5.00 (Section 5.32.120(J)). Annual license fees are $2,000 for pawnbrokers and $200 for autopawns, each plus $1 per $1,000 of gross receipts above $10,000 (Section 5.32.140).