Stockton, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Business license tax
- $150 per quarter (§5.08.220)
- Permit issuer
- Chief of Police
- Fingerprinting
- required for applicant and interested parties
- Standard hold on goods
- 30 days before resale
- Police hold-order period
- up to 90 days
- Transaction report deadline
- within 24 hours to police
- Minimum age
- no permit under 18
Summary
Stockton pawnbrokers must hold a police-issued permit under SMC §5.28.030 in addition to their $150-per-quarter license tax, submit to fingerprinting and a background check under §5.28.220, and follow strict handling rules: a mandatory 30-day hold on pledged goods, next-day transaction reports to police, and a ban on dealing with intoxicated or underage customers.
§ 5.28.020. Definitions. ... "Pawnbroker" means a person, other than banks, trust companies or bond brokers ... who keeps a loan office or pawn shop and is engaged in conducting, managing or carrying on the business of loaning money, for him, her or itself or for any other person, upon receipt of personal property, including jewelry and precious stones, other personal security, pawns or pledges, or the business of purchasing articles of personal property and reselling or agreeing to resell such articles to the vendors or their assignees, at prices agreed upon at or before the time of such purchase. A pawnbroker is also a secondhand dealer but a secondhand dealer is not necessarily a pawnbroker. § 5.28.030. Permit required—Compliance with other laws. A. Unless exempt pursuant to Section 5.28.040, it is unlawful for any person to engage in or conduct a cash for gold, pawnbroker or secondhand dealer business as defined in Section 5.28.020 without a permit. § 5.28.170. Merchandise to be held. All articles purchased ... shall ... be held for a period of 30 days before being placed on exhibition, sold, exchanged ... or otherwise disposed of.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
220. 220. 230. 100. 180. 140.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Chapter 5.28 requirement, falsifying an application, skipping the transaction report, ignoring a police hold order, or altering a receipt, is prosecuted under Title 1, Chapters 1.08 and 1.40 as both a criminal and administrative civil penalty under §5.28.260, and is independent grounds for the Chief of Police to suspend or revoke the permit under §5.28.250. Altering a duplicate receipt sheet required by §5.28.130 is specifically made a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Stockton pawnbrokers need more than a business license?
How long must a Stockton pawnbroker hold pledged items before reselling?
Can Stockton deny a pawnbroker permit over a criminal record?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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