Tinley Park, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- Village Clerk accepts applications, § 117.11
- Background check
- Chief of Police investigates applicant character
- Disqualifiers
- Stolen goods, burglary or robbery conviction
- Age rule
- No dealings with anyone under 21
- Weapons ban
- No pledging or displaying guns, § 117.13
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Tinley Park requires anyone who wants to run a pawnbroker business to get a license from the Village before opening, and the President and Board of Trustees can revoke it for any violation of the pawnbroker subchapter. Applicants file with the Village Clerk, and the Chief of Police investigates each one's character before a license issues.
No person, firm, or corporation shall conduct or operate the business of pawnbroker without having first obtained a license therefor as is herein provided; or in violation of any of the provisions herein contained. Any pawnbroker's license may be revoked by the President and Board of Trustees for any violation of any provision of this subchapter. ... Application for pawnbroker's license shall be made to the Village Clerk and shall state thereon the name of the applicant; the place of business; and the number of employees intended to be engaged. The Chief of Police or any other officer of the village designated by the Board of Trustees shall investigate each applicant for a license and shall report back to the Board of Trustees whether or not the applicant is a person of good character. No license shall be issued to a person who has been convicted of the offense of receiving stolen goods or of burglary or robbery.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
16 of the Village Code, dates to Ordinance 84-0-050 from 1984. 10 bars operating as a pawnbroker without a license, and lets the President and Board of Trustees revoke that license for any violation of the subchapter. 25. 11 disqualifies anyone convicted of receiving stolen goods, burglary or robbery outright. 12 requires a pawnbroker to keep a record of every article pledged or sold to him, open to inspection by any police officer at any time during business hours. 13 bars taking any revolver, pistol, black-jack or sawed-off shotgun as a pledge or purchase, and bars displaying weapons for sale in the window or shop.
14 forbids dealing with anyone under 21 in any capacity, whether as a customer, licensee or employee, and bars issuing a pawnbroker's license to anyone under 21. 15 makes it a pawnbroker's duty to report to police any article he has reason to believe was stolen or lost. 16, on top of the pawnbroker's license.
Violations & Fines
Section 117.99(A) folds pawnbroker violations into the Village's general penalty at § 110.99: a fine of up to $500 per offense or a jail term of up to six months, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. Beyond the fine, the President and Board of Trustees can revoke the pawnbroker's license outright under § 117.10 for any violation of the subchapter, ending the business's ability to operate in the village.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tinley Park deny a pawnbroker license for a criminal record?
Can a pawnbroker take firearms as collateral?
What records must a pawnbroker keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
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