Wyoming, MI Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Licenses required
- General business license + mayor-issued pawnbroker license
- State law tie-in
- 1917 PA 273, MCL 446.201 et seq.
- Issuing authority
- Wyoming mayor (pawnbroker license)
- License term
- Calendar year, expires Dec. 31
- First-offense fine
- $250.00 municipal civil infraction
Summary
A pawnbroker operating in the City of Wyoming, Michigan (Kent County) needs both a city general business license and a separate mayor-issued pawnbroker license under Wyoming Code of Ordinances Article XI, which ties directly to Michigan's pawnbroker statute, 1917 PA 273, MCL 446.201 et seq.
Sec. 14-111. - License required. No person shall operate a business of a pawnbroker in the city without obtaining a general business license from the city in accordance with this chapter and a pawnbroker license issued by the mayor pursuant to this article and 1917 PA 273, MCL 446.201 et seq.
Sec. 14-113. - Records and business practices. A licensee under this article must comply with the recordkeeping and other requirements of 1917 PA 273, MCL 446.201 et seq.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 201 et seq. Sec. 14-112 requires the application to be filed and license issued in accordance with that state act, and Sec. 14-113 requires licensees to follow the recordkeeping and other business-practice requirements of 1917 PA 273. As with secondhand dealers, Article XI leans on the state pawnbrokers act for the substantive transaction and recordkeeping rules while the city layers on its standard general business license process: an application to the clerk (Sec. 14-4), agency review by the police chief, treasurer, planner and building official (Sec.
14-5), and grounds for denial, suspension or revocation such as a misrepresentation in the application, a prior fraud or theft conviction, or default on city taxes and fees (Sec. 14-9). Licenses are annual, run through December 31, and cannot be transferred to another owner (Sec. 14-7). This is the City of Wyoming, Kent County, Michigan, adjoining Grand Rapids, and is distinct from the State of Wyoming.
Violations & Fines
Article XI has no separate penalty section, so violations fall under Chapter 14's general enforcement provision, Sec. 14-14: a municipal civil infraction punishable by $250.00 for a first offense, $500.00 for a second, and $2,500.00 for any subsequent offense, with each day of unlicensed operation a separate offense and a possible court order for compliance and restitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a pawnshop need a special license in Wyoming, Michigan?
What law governs pawnbroker recordkeeping in Wyoming?
Who issues the local pawnbroker license?
What is the penalty for pawnbroking without a license in Wyoming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wyoming
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kent County handle pawnbrokers.