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Pawn Shops/Secondhand Dealers

The Visalia Police Department's Property Crimes Unit is dedicated to the enforcement of the various state laws regulating the operation of pawn shops and secondhand dealers in an effort to reduce criminal activity related to the illegal sale of stolen property.

Pawn tickets are collected from pawn shops and secondhand dealers, and the items pawned or sold are checked on the local, state, and national computer databases to determine if they are stolen.

Definitions

Pawn Broker: Every person engaged in the business of receiving goods, including motor vehicles, in pledge as a security for a loan.

Pawn shops are required to hold any property taken in as security for a loan for a period of four months prior to the resale of those items (21201 FC).

Secondhand Dealers: Shall include any person, corporation, firm, or corporation whose business includes buying, selling, trading, taking in pawn, accepting for sale on consignment, accepting auctioning, or auctioning secondhand tangible personal property.

Secondhand dealers are required to retain any property sold to them for 30 days.

Helpful Tips

If you are a victim of theft and you find your own property at a pawnshop or secondhand dealers location, follow these steps:

  • Advise the Visalia Police Department's Property Crimes Unit immediately.
  • Make sure a police report has already been filed for the initial theft and have the report number available. A detective will provide you with information and instruction in regards to the case.
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