Prince William County, VA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License issuer
- Chief of Police
- Pawnbroker cap
- 12 locations countywide
- Record retention
- 24 months minimum
- Daily report deadline
- Noon next business day
- Merchant hold period
- 15 days minimum
- Pawnbroker hold period
- 30 days plus 15-day grace
- Minimum age to sell
- 18 years old
Summary
Prince William County requires every pawnbroker and secondhand merchant, dealers in used electronics, tools, appliances and instruments, to hold a Chief of Police-issued license before transacting any business. Applicants are fingerprinted, background-checked, and barred if convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude within ten years. The county caps pawnbroker locations at twelve and bars purchases from anyone under eighteen.
No pawnbroker or secondhand merchant shall transact any business, regardless of the quantity, in the County of Prince William without first being issued a pawnbroker and/or secondhand merchant license from the chief of police of Prince William County. ... Not more than twelve (12) places in the County of Prince William shall be licensed where the business of a pawnbroker may be conducted. ... Any natural person who violates subsections A., B., and/or C. of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
4 of the County Code, effective January 1, 2017, regulates every business that buys, pawns, or accepts on consignment secondhand computers, electronics, musical instruments, power tools, small appliances and televisions. 4-7. Anyone convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude within the last ten years is barred from holding a license. 1-4003 before the police department will issue a license. 4-7(F). 4-3). 4-6).
Violations & Fines
Operating as an unlicensed pawnbroker or secondhand merchant is a Class 1 misdemeanor under § 20.4-7(G), with each day of unlicensed operation charged as a separate offense. Most other chapter violations, altering serial numbers, refusing a police inspection, skipping the daily report, default to a Class 4 misdemeanor under § 20.4-8(A). Two or more convictions tied to the same pawn shop or secondhand merchant location within any twelve-month period trigger permanent revocation of that location's license under § 20.4-8(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a pawn shop in Prince William County?
How long must a secondhand dealer keep transaction records?
Can a secondhand dealer buy from a teenager?
What happens if a pawn shop keeps violating the ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
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