Baltimore licenses pawnbrokers and secondhand precious-metal dealers under Article 15, requiring daily transaction reporting to BPD via the LeadsOnline system, holding periods, and seller identification on every purchase.
Baltimore City Code Article 15, Subtitles 28 and 29, license pawnbrokers and secondhand precious-metal dealers. Operators must record each acquisition with seller name, photo ID, item description, serial numbers, and a thumbprint, and upload data daily to BPD through the LeadsOnline reporting system. A mandatory 18-day holding period prevents resale or melt-down so police can identify stolen property; jewelry-store buybacks of gold and electronics fall in scope. Maryland Business Regulation Title 12 layers a state pawnbroker license. License approvals require BPD background checks; revocations follow non-reporting or stolen-property findings.
Failure to report within 24 hours, missing holding periods, or accepting goods from a known thief triggers fines up to $1,000 per item, license suspension, and possible criminal charges under Article 27.
See how Baltimore's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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