Ventura, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Ventura police chief
- Permit term
- One year, nontransferable
- Resale hold
- 30 days after item is taken in
- Business hours limit
- No transactions 10 p.m.-6 a.m.
- Appeal window
- 10 days to city manager
- Reapplication bar after revocation
- 3 months
Summary
Any pawnbroker doing business in the City of Ventura must hold a written permit from the police chief, separate from the standard city business license, under San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 6.200.030. The police chief investigates each applicant, can deny or revoke the permit for cause, and the ordinance bars resale of pawned merchandise for 30 days after it is taken in.
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct, manage or carry on the business of pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector unless the person is the holder of an unexpired and unrevoked written permit therefor, issued in the manner hereinafter provided. ... “Pawnbroker” means any person engaged in, conducting, managing or carrying on the business of loaning money, whether for themselves or any other person, upon personal property, pawns, or pledges, or the business of purchasing articles of personal property and reselling, or agreeing to resell, such articles to the vendor or their assignee or assignees at prices agreed upon at or before the time of purchase. ... It shall be unlawful for any pawnbroker to sell or dispose of any article or thing, except for articles listed in Section 21201 of the California Financial Code, within 30 days after such article or thing has been purchased or received by such pawnbroker.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 6.200.030(A) makes it unlawful to engage in the pawnbroker business in Ventura without an unexpired, unrevoked written permit. Applicants file with the police chief specifying the business address; the chief investigates and issues or refuses the permit, and a refusal can be appealed in writing to the city manager, who conducts an independent investigation before deciding (6.200.030(C)(1)-(2)). A permit is nontransferable, valid one year, and tied to one location; a permittee may relocate only after the chief of police approves in advance, and the license tax collector cannot issue a business license until the police permit is granted (6.200.030(C)(3)-(6)).
The chief may deny an application for fraud or material misrepresentation, a misdemeanor or felony conviction within the past three years substantially related to the trade, or a chapter violation within the past five years, and denials must be explained in writing with a right to appeal (6.200.030(C)(7)). The same grounds, plus a felony conviction during the permit period, support suspension or revocation after a noticed hearing before the police chief, with a right of administrative appeal to the city manager within 10 days and a discretionary 30-day stay of execution pending that appeal (6.200.030(C)(8), (D)(2)).
Pawnbrokers must keep purchase and pledge records open to inspection by the chief of police or any officer, post a sign identifying the business, and may not transact pawnbroker business between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (6.200.030(E)(1), (G)(1)-(2)). No pawnbroker may sell or dispose of an item, other than the coin, bullion and precious-metal exceptions of Financial Code Section 21201, within 30 days of taking it in (6.200.030(F)(1)).
Violations & Fines
Operating as a pawnbroker without a police-issued permit is a violation of Section 6.200.030(A). Selling a pledged or purchased item before the mandatory 30-day hold expires is a separate violation of 6.200.030(F)(1), and each day a violation of the recordkeeping, sign, hours or reporting rules continues is charged as a separate offense under 6.200.030(G)(4). A permit revoked for fraud, an unreported felony conviction, or repeat chapter violations cannot be reissued to the same person for three months (6.200.030(D)(2)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate permit to open a pawnshop in Ventura?
How long can I hold a pledged item before reselling it?
Can the city revoke my pawnbroker permit?
What hours can a Ventura pawnshop operate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle pawnbrokers.