Waco, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Buying hours
- No used goods accepted 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Hold period
- 10 days minimum before resale, Sec. 13-309
- Recordkeeping
- Entry within one hour of each transaction
- Daily police report
- Full purchase list due to chief of police
- Minors
- Written parent/guardian consent required to buy from a minor
- Penalty
- $1 to $500 fine, Sec. 1-14
Summary
Waco pawnbrokers, along with secondhand stores, salvage dealers, and junk dealers, cannot accept used merchandise between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and must hold every item unaltered in the local store for at least ten days before selling, disposing of, or moving it out of the city.
Sec. 13-308. It shall be unlawful for any pawnbroker, salvage and wrecking dealer, secondhand store or junk dealer to accept delivery of any secondhand or used merchandise after 6:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. Sec. 13-309. All property shall be held in an unaltered condition in the local store or warehouse for a period of at least ten days before it is sold or disposed of or moved out of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Article VIII, Division 1 of Chapter 13 (Secs. 13-301 through 13-312) regulates pawnbrokers and related secondhand businesses in Waco, on top of the pawnbroker's separate obligation to comply with the state pawnbroker statute, Vernon's Ann. Civ. art. 01 et seq. (Sec. 13-302). m. Section 13-309 then requires that all such property be held in an unaltered condition in the local store or warehouse for at least ten days before it can be sold, disposed of, or moved out of the city, giving police a window to trace stolen goods.
Section 13-305 requires detailed books recording every pledge or sale within one hour of the transaction, including the seller's name and address, item description with serial or model numbers where they exist, and an explanation of the item's source; Section 13-306 makes those books and the pledged goods subject to inspection by any police or law enforcement officer at all reasonable times, and it is unlawful to refuse entry for that inspection. Section 13-307 additionally requires a full daily list of every item taken in pawn or purchased to be furnished to the chief of police.
Section 13-311 bars buying or receiving goods from a minor unless the minor carries the written consent of a parent or guardian, and Section 13-310 lets a law enforcement official issue a written hold order stopping the sale, removal, or redelivery of specific property for a stated period.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep the required daily records, refusing a police inspection, buying from an unaccompanied minor, or selling property before the ten-day hold expires violates Article VIII and is punishable under Section 1-14's general penalty of $1.00 to $500.00 per offense, with the owner, manager, or operator equally liable for an employee's violation under Section 13-312.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Waco pawn shop buy items late at night?
How long must a pawnshop hold an item before reselling it?
Does the city check pawnshop records?
Can a pawnbroker buy something from a teenager in Waco?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
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