Chattanooga pawnshops, precious-metal buyers, and secondhand goods dealers must hold a city license, register transactions in the LeadsOnline reporting system used by CPD, and hold purchased items for a state-mandated period before resale to deter trafficking in stolen property.
Tennessee's Pawnbrokers Act and TCA 62-30 secondhand goods law require dealers to record seller identification, item descriptions, and serial numbers for every transaction. Chattanooga requires these reports filed daily through LeadsOnline so CPD detectives can match items to stolen property reports. Pawned items must be held for a minimum holding period, typically 30 days, before redemption forfeiture or resale. Precious-metal buyers face additional registration with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Operating without a city business license is a separate violation.
Dealers operating without proper registration or failing to report transactions face license revocation, misdemeanor charges, and potential felony charges if found knowingly receiving stolen property.
See how Chattanooga's secondhand dealers rules stack up against other locations.
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