(a) The licensing authority of any town or city may grant licenses to suitable persons to be pawnbrokers in such town or city respectively, and may suspend or revoke such licenses for cause, which shall include, but not be limited to, failure to comply with any requirements for licensure specified by the licensing authority at the time of issuance.
(b) The person so licensed shall pay, for the benefit of any such city or town, respectively, or if the licensing authority of such city or town is the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, for the benefit of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, to the licensing authority a license fee of fifty dollars, and twenty-five dollars per year thereafter for renewal of such license, and shall, at the time of receiving such license, file, with the licensing authority of such city or town, a bond to such city or town, with competent surety, in the penal sum of two thousand dollars, to be approved by such licensing authority, and conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties and obligations pertaining to the business so licensed, unless such person is also licensed as a secondhand dealer in accordance with section 21-47d, in which case the licensing authority shall waive the payment of renewal fees and filing of a bond required by this subsection.
(c) Each such license shall designate the place where such business is to be carried on and shall be in effect for one year unless sooner suspended or revoked. Such license shall be displayed in a conspicuous location in the place where such business is carried on. At the time of application for such license and each renewal thereof, the applicant shall disclose to the licensing authority all places used or intended to be used by the business for the purchase, receipt, storage or sale of property. During the term of such license, the licensee shall notify the licensing authority of any additional places that will be used by the business for the purchase, receipt, storage or sale of property prior to such use.
(d) An application for such license shall be made in writing, under oath. The application shall contain: (1) The type of business to be engaged in, (2) the applicant's full name, age and date and place of birth, (3) the applicant's residence addresses and places of employment within the preceding five years, (4) the applicant's present occupation, (5) any crime of which the applicant has been convicted and the date and place of such conviction, and (6) such additional information as the licensing authority deems necessary to investigate the qualifications, character, competency and integrity of the applicant. If the applicant is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or association, the application shall contain the information required by this subsection for each individual who is or will be an officer, shareholder, financial backer or creditor, other than a financial institution, of such entity or any other individual with a relationship to such entity similar to that of an officer, shareholder, financial backer or creditor.
(e) The application for such license and any renewal thereof shall contain information on any Internet web site or account used by such applicant to conduct the business. During the term of the license, the licensee shall notify the licensing authority in writing of the addition or discontinuation of any Internet web sites or accounts used to conduct the business.
(f) No license shall be issued under this section by the licensing authority to any person who has been convicted of a felony. The licensing authority may require any applicant, employee or person with an ownership interest in the business to submit to state and national criminal history records checks. Whenever the licensing authority requires such criminal history records checks, such individual shall submit two complete sets of fingerprints on forms prescribed by the licensing authority. Any criminal history records checks required pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with section 29-17a. The licensing authority may charge the individual a fee equal to the fees established by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Police Bureau of Identification for performing such criminal history records checks.
(g) The licensing authority shall grant or deny an application for a license not later than ninety days after the filing of such application with the licensing authority. A licensee seeking renewal of such license shall file an application for renewal at least sixty days before the expiration of such license and the licensing authority shall grant or deny such renewal not later than thirty days after the filing of such application for renewal. Failure of the licensing authority to act on such initial application or renewal application within the applicable period specified in this subsection shall be deemed to be a denial. The licensing authority may suspend, revoke or modify any license issued under this section at any time during the period of the license for good cause shown, upon notice to the licensee and following a hearing. The licensing authority shall hold any such hearing not later than five days after the date of issuance of such notice, and shall issue a decision not more than fourteen days after any hearing. Any person aggrieved by any action of the licensing authority in denying, suspending, revoking, modifying or refusing to renew a license issued pursuant to this section may appeal from such action to the Superior Court.
(1949 Rev., S. 4664; 1972, P.A. 223, S. 28; P.A. 97-164, S. 2; P.A. 01-175, S. 18, 32; P.A. 11-100, S. 3; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 108.)
History: 1972 act provided for $25 fee per year for renewal of license; P.A. 97-164 included the business of lending money on the “deposit” of personal property and the business “of purchasing such property from a person who is not a wholesaler”, prohibited the issuance of a license to any person convicted of a felony, authorized the fingerprinting of applicants and required any fingerprints taken to be submitted to the F.B.I. for a national criminal history records check; P.A. 01-175 replaced provisions re fingerprinting and national criminal history records check with provisions re state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to Sec. 29-17a, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 11-100 substantially revised section, redesignated existing language as Subsecs. (a) to (c) re granting of licenses, license fees and expiration of licenses and as Subsec. (f) re license prohibition for person convicted of a felony, and added Subsecs. (d), (e) and (g) re information required for license application, time frames for license approval and renewals, and provisions re suspension, revocation or modification of license; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 replaced references to Commissioner and Department of Public Safety with references to Commissioner and Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in Subsec. (b), effective June 15, 2012.
Cited. 201 C. 89.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 409 - Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers
Section 21-39. - Pawnbroker license required. Loans on intangible property excepted.
Section 21-39a. - Definitions.
Section 21-41. - Proof of identity required. Record-keeping requirements.
Section 21-43. - Statement of transactions.
Section 21-44. - Rates of interest.
Section 21-45. - Sale or disposition of deposited or pledged property.
Section 21-46. - Security not defeated by out-of-state conditional sale.
Section 21-46a. - Seizure of property by law enforcement officer. Restitution.