Plymouth, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Pawnbroker/secondhand dealer license, § 1160.03
- Annual license fee
- $8,000, per § 1010.01, Subd. 9
- Surety bond
- $10,000 filed with the City
- Business hours limit
- Not before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m.
- Violation
- Misdemeanor under § 1160.18
- Licensing authority
- City Council, on Police recommendation
Summary
In the City of Plymouth, anyone who buys, pawns, or resells previously used personal property must hold a City pawnbroker license under City Code Section 1160.03 before opening, because the pawnbroker definition in Section 1160.02 expressly extends to any business that buys personal property previously used, rented, or leased. The annual license runs $8,000, set by Section 1010.01, Subd. 9.
A. Pawnbroker License Fee $8,000.00 ... Pawnbroker. ... A person who loans money on deposit or pledge of personal property or other valuable thing; who deals in the purchasing of personal property or other valuable thing on condition of selling that same back again at a stipulated price; or who loans money secured by chattel mortgage or on personal property, taking possession of the property or any part thereof so mortgaged. To the extent that a pawnbroker business includes buying personal property previously used, rented, or leased, the provisions of this Section shall be applicable. ... No person shall exercise, carry-on, or be engaged in the trade or business of pawnbroker within the City unless such person is currently licensed under this Section. ... the applicant shall file a bond in the amount of $10,000.00 with the City. ... No pawnbroker shall keep the pawnbroker business open for the transaction of business on any day of the week before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
Plymouth's business-licensing chapter does not use a separate label for secondhand dealer; Section 1160 folds that activity into its pawnbroker license. 02 defines pawnbroker broadly, covering anyone who loans money on a pledge of personal property, buys property on condition of reselling it, or loans against a chattel mortgage, and the definition specifically states that to the extent a pawnbroker business includes buying personal property previously used, rented, or leased, the whole Section applies. 03 then makes it unlawful to carry on that trade in Plymouth without a current City license, giving anyone already operating only 60 days after the Section's effective date to get licensed or close.
Applicants go through a Police Department background investigation and a City Council public hearing before a license issues. 01, Subd. 10 requires the applicant to file a $10,000 surety bond with the City before the license is granted. Once licensed, the dealer must report every transaction to the Police Department daily through the Automated Pawn System, photograph each customer and item, and keep records for at least three years. on any day of the week.
Violations & Fines
Operating as an unlicensed pawnbroker or secondhand dealer in Plymouth is a misdemeanor under Section 1160.18, which states that violation of any provision of the Section is a misdemeanor. The City Council can also deny, suspend, or revoke a license under Section 1160.17 for breaking any provision of the chapter, violating a state pawnbroker statute, or failing the Section's moral-character standard, following written notice and a public hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Plymouth require secondhand dealers to get a special license?
How much does a Plymouth pawnbroker or secondhand dealer license cost?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth
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