Fort Smith, AR Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)

Secondhand dealing in Fort Smith operates within Arkansas's state-level pawnbroker framework rather than a stand-alone municipal pawnshop chapter. The Arkansas Pawnshop Act (A.C.A. §18-27-101 et seq.) governs the licensing of pawnbrokers, with the Arkansas State Board of Collection Agencies (or its successor pawnbroker-licensing authority) acting as the regulatory body. Key statutory requirements include: an application reviewed for character and financial responsibility; a surety bond posted to secure compliance; statutory interest-rate caps and required pawn-ticket disclosures; a mandatory holding period before the pawnbroker may sell unredeemed pledges; and detailed transaction records identifying the pledgor, including a government-issued photo ID and a description of each pledged item. Records must be available for inspection by the Fort Smith Police Department and other law-enforcement agencies; many Arkansas pawnbrokers participate in the LeadsOnline reporting system, which is also used by Fort Smith Police for stolen-property investigations. Used-goods stores buying jewelry, gold, electronics, or other secondhand merchandise are also subject to Arkansas's general consumer-protection statutes and to the Fort Smith Code of Ordinances; certain categories (precious metals, firearms) may carry additional state recordkeeping rules. Every operator must hold a Fort Smith business license; Fort Smith has not adopted a municipal pawn ordinance beyond the city's general business-license chapter and zoning rules that apply to retail uses.