(A) A
PAWNBROKER is any individual, firm, corporation, business, partnership or other entity, whether or not currently in operation, which loans money on deposit or pledge of physically delivered personal property, other than property the ownership of which is subject to legal dispute, securities, printed evidence of indebtedness or printed evidence of ownership of the personal property or who deals in the purchase of such property on condition of selling the property back again at a stipulated price. The business of a pawnbroker does not include the lending of money on deposit or pledge of the title to property.
(B) No person, persons, business, corporation, partnership or other entity shall engage in the business of pawnbroker within the city without a license. Application for a pawnbroker’s license shall be made as provided by the licensing provisions of this chapter and any such application shall also state the number of employees intended to be engaged therein. The Chief of Police of the city or his or her designee or any other officer or agent designated by the Chief of Police shall investigate each licensee applicant and shall report in writing whether or not such applicant is a person of good character. No license shall be issued to any person, partnership, corporation or other entity, if any owner, manager, partner, officer, director or any shareholder, owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the shares of stock in the corporation where the stock is not publically traded and that shareholder has been convicted of any felony offense or convicted of the offense(s) of possession of stolen goods, burglary, robbery, theft or who has been convicted of any criminal offense involving dishonesty or moral turpitude. Every applicant for a pawnbroker’s license, as well as every owner, partner, manager, officer, director, employee and, in this case, of a corporate applicant, every shareholder owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the shares of stock in the corporation where the stock is not publically traded, shall undergo a criminal background investigation, which investigation may include fingerprinting, prior to the issuance of a pawnbroker’s license. The license fee is $500 per year.
(1960 Code, § 7-2-2) (Ord. 5385, passed 3-8-1995; Ord. 7752, passed 3-3-2014) Penalty, see § 113.999