City laying groundwork for licensing of pawnbrokers

LACONIA — The City Council will consider amendments to the city ordinances to enable the Licensing Board to enforce the provision that requires the licensing of pawnbrokers when it meets Monday evening.

Although there is a city ordinance — Chapter 173 — that requires the licensing of pawnbrokers, it has not been enforced. Nor has a licensing fee been established or collected.

As proposed the ordinance refers to the definitions of "pawnshop" and "pawnbroker" set forth in state law. However, the state statute entitled "Pawnbrokers" — RSA 398 — contains no definition of either "pawnshop" or "pawnbroker." However, the statute authorizes local licensing boards to set the licensing fee for pawnbrokers as well as the rate of interest pawnbrokers may charge.

The ordinance would set an initial application fee of $100 for pawnbrokers together with an annual $25 charge to renew the license. In addition, the ordinance would authorize the city to require applicants to submit a criminal history and /or credit history for each person employed under the aegis of a single license.