Topeka, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- City Clerk, TMC 5.110.140-.230
- Minimum age
- 21 years old
- Kansas residency
- 2 years before applying
- Felony lookback
- 10 years, mandatory denial
- Max loan
- $5,000 per transaction
- Interest cap
- 10%/month, 120%/year
- Redemption period
- 2 months after due date
Summary
Topeka requires a City Clerk-issued license before anyone can operate as a pawnbroker inside city limits. TMC 5.110.140 bars operating without one and caps each license to a single location. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 21, and Kansas residents for two years; a felony conviction within the past 10 years is a mandatory denial ground.
(a) No person shall engage or continue in business as a pawnbroker without first obtaining a license therefor as provided in this article. (b) Not more than one place of business shall be maintained under the same license, but more than one license may be issued to the same licensee upon compliance with all the provisions of this article governing the issuance of an initial license.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20671, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5.110 TMC sets a full licensing scheme for pawnbrokers, defined at TMC 5.110.010 as anyone who loans money on a pledge of personal property or buys property with a right to sell it back at a stipulated price. TMC 5.110.140 requires a license before engaging or continuing in the pawnbroking business and limits each license to one place of business, though the same licensee may hold multiple licenses if each meets the article's requirements. Applications go to the City Clerk's office under TMC 5.110.150 and must include a statement that the pawnbroker holds a valid Kansas Department of Revenue registration certificate under K.S.A.
79-3608, plus a detailed inventory of goods held in pawn or for sale. TMC 5.110.170 lists mandatory denial grounds: the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a Kansas resident for at least two years, at least 21 years old, free of any felony conviction, guilty plea or bond forfeiture within the preceding 10 years, must not have had a license revoked for cause, and must own the licensed premises or hold a lease covering at least three-fourths of the license period. TMC 5.110.180 gives corporate shareholders 14 months to divest stock to an eligible person if they become ineligible, or the stock reverts to the corporation at book value.
Once issued, TMC 5.110.190 requires the license to state the licensee's name and business address, TMC 5.110.200 requires it be posted conspicuously, and TMC 5.110.210 makes it non-transferable. Loan terms are fixed by TMC 5.110.080 and 5.110.090: a one-month term, redeemable within a two-month period, charges capped at 10 percent per month (120 percent per year), and loans capped at $5,000 per transaction. TMC 5.110.110 bars employing anyone with a disqualifying felony record.
Violations & Fines
Under TMC 5.110.230, the City Clerk may suspend or revoke a pawnbroker license after notice and a public hearing for failing to pay the annual fee, violating any provision of Chapter 5.110, a qualifying felony conviction, or employing someone with a disqualifying felony record; a license must be revoked if the licensee sold a gun to a minor. Hearings occur within 30 days of notice, with a written order due within 60 days. Unlicensed operation carries Topeka's general penalty under TMC 1.10.070: a $1-$499 fine, up to 179 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a pawnbroker license in Topeka?
Can a felony conviction disqualify a pawnbroker applicant?
How much interest can a Topeka pawnbroker charge?
What can get a Topeka pawnbroker license revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Topeka
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