Springfield, OH Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)

Section 743.01 defines a "pawnbroker" as anyone lending money on deposits or pledges of personal property, other than securities or titles, at more than 8% annual interest or other charge, and also covers anyone who buys personal property from someone with an agreement letting that person buy it back later for more than the original price. A "transaction" under the chapter means accepting merchandise as security for a loan, for resale, or on consignment. Section 743.02 requires every pawnbroker doing business in Springfield to maintain a secure internet connection and submit an electronic record of each transaction to the Chief of Police or a designee through a reporting service the City provides at no cost.

Each electronic record must include a photograph of the merchandise accepted for pawn, purchase for resale, or consignment, plus any other data the reporting service requires, and must be submitted as soon as practicable, no later than the close of business the day of the transaction. Section 743.03 allows pawnbrokers to keep written records containing the same required information if the electronic reporting system malfunctions, but those records must be submitted to the Chief of Police within 24 hours after the system's non-operational period. Section 743.04 states that complying with these chapter obligations satisfies the pawnbroker's separate daily-report duty under Ohio Revised Code § 4727.09, so Springfield's electronic system stands in for the state paperwork.