Chatham County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- License required before
- Opening for business (§16-1103)
- Records retained
- 4 years, incl. photo & fingerprint
- Reporting
- Daily, electronic, to police (§16-1105)
- Legal hours
- 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; midnight pre-Christmas
- Holding period
- 30 days before resale (§16-1107)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 30 days jail (§16-1108)
Summary
Chatham County requires anyone operating a pawnshop or similar secondhand dealing business in the unincorporated county to hold a valid occupational license before opening, under the Chatham County Pawnbrokers Ordinance. Licensees must record, photograph and fingerprint every seller, report daily to police, and hold goods 30 days before resale or disposal.
All persons, before beginning the business of operating a pawnshop, or similar place involving pawn transactions, shall secure a valid license pursuant to the requirements of the Chatham County Occupational and Regulatory Tax Ordinance. ... All personal property acquired by the licensee, whether by pawn, purchase, barter, trade or otherwise, shall be held and maintained by the licensee at the licensed location, or at such other impound location as may have been previously approved by the Chatham County police department in writing, for a minimum of 30 days prior to disposal of same by the licensee, except in instances where the property is redeemed as per a pawn transaction contract.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-1103 of the Chatham County Pawnbrokers Ordinance requires anyone opening a pawnshop or similar business built on pawn transactions in the unincorporated county to secure a license under the county's Occupational and Regulatory Tax Ordinance before conducting business. Sec. 16-1104 then layers on detailed recordkeeping: every pledged, traded, or sold item gets a unique transaction tag and a description covering manufacturer, model, and serial number, the seller must show government-issued photo identification, and the pawnbroker must document the seller's name, address, phone number, race, sex, height, weight, driver's license number and date of birth, plus a digital photograph of both the seller and the property and a right-index fingerprint.
All of that must be stored for four years and made available to law enforcement on request. Sec. 16-1105 requires most of that same information to be uploaded daily into an electronic reporting system accessible to the county police department, with paper backups kept if the system fails. Sec. , extended to midnight on Saturdays and the week before Christmas. Sec. 16-1107 requires a minimum 30-day hold on all acquired property before resale, and lets county police place an indefinite "police hold" on any item under investigation.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 16-1108 makes any failure to comply with the Pawnbrokers Ordinance, including skipping the license, the recordkeeping, or the daily reporting requirement, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in the County Jail, or both, plus court costs, for a single offense. Each day the violation continues is treated as a separate offense, and the county can pursue other lawful remedies on top of that fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pawnshops in Chatham County need a license?
What records must a secondhand dealer keep on customers?
How long must a pawnbroker hold an item before selling it?
What are the legal hours for a Chatham County pawnshop?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
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