(a) No pawnbroker shall take, receive or purchase tangible personal property without receiving proof of the identity of the person depositing, pledging or selling the property. Such identification shall include a photograph, an address, if available on the identification, and an identifying number, including, but not limited to, date of birth. No pawnbroker shall enter into any pledge or purchase transaction with a minor unless such minor is accompanied by such minor's parent or guardian.
(b) Each such pawnbroker shall maintain a computerized record-keeping system deemed appropriate by the licensing authority, in which shall be entered in English, at the time the pawnbroker receives any article of personal property by way of pledge, deposit or purchase, a description of such article, the name, residence address, proof of identity as required in subsection (a) of this section and a general description of the person from whom, and the date and hour when, such property was received and in which, if the property does not contain any identifiable numbers or markings, shall be included a digital photograph of each article. Each entry in the record-keeping system shall be numbered consecutively. A tag shall be attached to the article in a visible and convenient place with a number written on such tag corresponding to the entry number in the record-keeping system and shall remain attached to the article until the article is sold or otherwise disposed of, provided the licensing authority shall prescribe procedures authorizing the removal of such tags from articles, including those articles consisting of jewelry that are cleaned and repaired on the premises by the pawnbroker, that will provide accountability for such articles. Such tag shall be visible in a digital photograph taken in accordance with this section. Such record-keeping system and the place where such business is carried on and all articles of property therein may be examined at all times by any state police officer, municipal police officer, the licensing authority or any person by them designated. Any state police officer or municipal police officer who performs such an examination may require any employee on the premises to provide proof of the employee's identity. All records maintained pursuant to this section shall be retained by the pawnbroker for not less than two years.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the description of any property received by a pawnbroker under this section shall include, but shall not be limited to, all distinguishing marks, names of any kind, including brand and model names, model and serial numbers, engravings, etchings, affiliation with any institution or organization, dates, initials, color, vintage or image represented. Any description of audio, video or electronic media of any kind shall also include the title and artist or any other identifying information contained on the cover or external surface of such media.
(d) The licensing authority may provide for an exemption from, or establish additional or different requirements than, the requirements of subsection (c) of this section upon consideration of the nature of the property, transaction or business, including, but not limited to, articles in bulk lots or articles of minimal value.
(1949 Rev., S. 4665; P.A. 93-115; P.A. 97-164, S. 3; P.A. 05-288, S. 87; P.A. 11-100, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 93-115 added new provisions as Subsec. (a) requiring a person depositing or purchasing items from a pawnbroker to provide proof of identification, designating former provisions as Subsec. (b); P.A. 97-164 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to “loan broker”, include any person who “purchases such property on condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price or purchases such property from a person who is not a wholesaler”, replace the provision that no pawnbroker or person shall “sell” such property without proof of “identification” of the person “purchasing” the property with provision that no pawnbroker or person shall “purchase” such property without proof of “the identity” of the person “selling” the property, require the identification to include an address “if available on the identification” and include “an identifying number”, and add penalty provision of an infraction for a first violation and a class A misdemeanor for a second or subsequent violation committed within two years, and amended Subsec. (b) to include the business of loaning money on the “deposit” of personal property and the business “of purchasing such property on the condition of selling the same back again at a stipulated price or of purchasing such property from a person who is not a wholesaler”, require the maintenance of a “record-keeping system” rather than a “book”, include articles received by “purchase” in the record-keeping requirement, authorize examination “by any municipal police officer” and authorize any state policeman or municipal police officer to require any employee to provide proof of his identity; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 11-100 made conforming changes re definitions in Sec. 21-39a added by same act, amended Subsec. (a) to delete penalty provision and prohibit pawnbroker from entering into transaction with a minor unless minor is accompanied by such minor's parent or guardian, amended Subsec. (b) to add photographic and tag identification record-keeping requirements and specify that record-keeping system be computerized, and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re description requirements for property received by a pawnbroker and exemption from description provision.
Cited. 201 C. 89.