New Hampshire Pawn Regulation:
Title XXXVI and Local Control

New Hampshire regulates pawnbrokers under Title XXXVI, Chapter 398 of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA). However, the state framework is uniquely decentralized: the governing body of any town, city, or unincorporated place may license suitable persons to carry on the business of pawnbrokers for one-year terms, and may revoke such licenses in their discretion after a hearing.

This means New Hampshire has no single statewide licensing authority or uniform reporting system. Requirements—including fees, recordkeeping formats, hold periods, and inspection schedules—are established at the municipal level. Pawnbrokers must also be aware of RSA Chapter 322, which governs secondhand dealers, as many municipalities regulate both under unified ordinances.

PPSS is a recordkeeping tool. It does not interpret New Hampshire law, determine compliance status, or enforce regulations. You are solely responsible for configuring the software to align with your legal obligations and for submitting correct information to local authorities.

Pawnbroker Pawn Shop Software New Hampshire Interface

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Gilford Country Store, Hopkinton, NH

"We've used PPSS for years at our Hopkinton location. The software handles our transaction records, ID photocopying, and reporting to local authorities—all with a one-time payment. No monthly fees, no cloud hostage situation."

— Gilford Country Store, Hopkinton, New Hampshire

New Hampshire customer since 2005 • One-time payment, perpetual license

RSA 398 — Pawnbrokers

RSA 398:5 establishes the fundamental licensing structure: the governing body of any town, city, or unincorporated place may license suitable persons to carry on the business of pawnbrokers for one year, and may revoke such licenses after a hearing on charges preferred.

No statewide license: There is no single New Hampshire pawn license. Each municipality issues its own license with its own fees, renewal dates, and conditions. For example, Laconia charges a $100 initial fee and $25 annual renewal, Hampton charges a $365 application/renewal fee, and Hudson charges a $50 fee.

Definition of pawnbroker: Includes any person whose business involves lending money secured by taking possession of property, with the right to sell if not redeemed—including transactions structured as sales with repurchase rights.

Employee requirements: Laconia requires a State of New Hampshire criminal history check for each employee working under the pawnbroker license. Hampton requires submission of a list of all employees with names and addresses, with notification to police of new hires before start date.

RSA 322 — Secondhand Dealers

Many New Hampshire municipalities regulate pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers under unified ordinances, referencing both RSA 322 and RSA 398.

Secondhand dealer defined: Any person whose business is the retail buying, selling, buy-back, exchanging, bartering or dealing in secondhand articles, including jewelry, watches, precious metals, musical instruments, cameras, electronics, tools, computers, firearms, and auto accessories.

Exclusions: Some ordinances exclude antique dealers, estate dissolution dealers, wholesalers, flea markets, purchases from private residences, and mail-order transactions.

RSA 398:2 — Prohibited Pledges

RSA 398:2 contains distinctive prohibitions that shape what transactions a pawnbroker may legally conduct:

Minors and intoxication: No person shall receive in pawn anything of value from any minor or person in a visible state of intoxication from liquors or otherwise.
Motor vehicles (limited): No more than 4 motor vehicles or titles to motor vehicles, as defined in RSA 361-A:1, VII.
Real property prohibition: No title or deed to real property, including mobile homes, condominiums, and rights to interval ownership.
Promissory notes prohibition: No mortgage or any promissory note, including the pledge or assignment of any right to receive payments, rents, or revenue arising from such note.
Clothing removed from person: No article of clothing removed from the person at the place of business.

Practical effect: New Hampshire pawnbrokers cannot accept real estate or promissory notes as collateral—a significant restriction compared to other states. Vehicle title loans are limited to four vehicles, effectively prohibiting high-volume title lending.

Municipal Ordinances — Laconia Example

The City of Laconia's ordinance (Chapter 173) illustrates detailed local requirements.

24-hour electronic reporting: Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers shall electronically file documentation of all transaction records for each day's business to the Chief of Police, within 24 hours of the end of said dealer's business day in which the transaction occurred. If no purchases, a report of such fact must be made by 10:00 a.m. of the first business day of the following week.

Photograph requirements: All property shall be photographed with a digital camera or digital image scanner. The complete transaction record shall include a color image of the photo identification used by the seller and a clear color image of the item(s). Miscellaneous jewelry shall be separated and not photographed in an aggregate pile. Images shall be kept electronically in PDF or JPG format and readily available upon request.

Transaction records: Every acquisition requires a record including date/time, amount paid/loaned, interest rate, name/address of seller, and detailed description (brand, model, serial number, color, identifying marks). For jewelry: metal, kind and number of stones, karat.

Positive ID: Valid photographic identification issued by U.S. federal or state government within the past five years, including full name, date of birth, and current street address. A photocopy of the ID must be attached to the transaction record.

Holding periods: Pawnbrokers shall retain pledged nonperishable articles for four months after date of deposit (perishable: one month). Property purchased outright (conveying full ownership) shall be retained for 14 days.

Hudson Example — 21-Day Hold on Purchases

The Town of Hudson's ordinance (Chapter 261) provides another local variation:

24-hour reporting: One copy of all transaction records shall be delivered to the Hudson Police Department within 24 hours of the end of said dealer's business day.

21-day hold on purchases: No article purchased shall be sold, encumbered, or altered within 21 days of purchase, except with written permission of the Chief of Police, but in no case within 24 hours after purchase.

Pawnbroker hold: Pawnbrokers shall retain pledged nonperishable articles for at least four months after date of deposit and perishable articles for one month.

Five-year retention: All original transaction records shall be kept for a minimum of five years (state and federal regulations may require longer).

7-Year Record Retention — RSA 398:13 and Laconia

RSA 398:13 and local ordinances specify retention periods.

Laconia requirement: Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers shall retain each original transaction record in his or her possession for a period of seven years. The record, along with the respective property, shall be kept or stored in or upon the licensed premises. The licensed premises may be inspected at any time by a duly authorized police officer. RSA 398:14 makes any willful obstruction of the police a misdemeanor.

New Hampshire Jurisdictions — Local Considerations

Hopkinton (Merrimack County): Home to Gilford Country Store, an active PPSS user. Pawnbrokers should consult Hopkinton town ordinances and the Merrimack County Sheriff's office or local police for specific reporting requirements.

Manchester and Nashua: As the largest cities, they maintain their own licensing and reporting requirements. Pawnbrokers should contact municipal police departments for current electronic reporting specifications.

Concord: The capital city has its own pawnbroker ordinance with specific fees and reporting schedules.

Laconia: Requires 24-hour electronic reporting with photographs, ID photocopies, and seven-year record retention.

Hampton: Detailed ordinance with 24-hour reporting, video surveillance requirements, and 45-day video retention.

Hudson: 24-hour reporting, 21-day hold on purchases, five-year retention.

Rural towns and unincorporated places: Licensing is handled by the governing body (selectmen or county commissioners). Some smaller towns may have minimal or no pawn-specific ordinances, but state statutes still apply.

This information is based on publicly available statutes and ordinances. Local requirements change, and interpretations vary. You must confirm current licensing and reporting obligations with the city, town, or county where you operate.

Three Editions — One Philosophy: Pay Once, Own It

All editions include tools to help you organize pawn data and export records. No edition automatically complies with any New Hampshire law or local ordinance; you are responsible for proper configuration and submission.

Deluxe Edition

$695 once
Pawns, buy-outs, reminders, forfeits, payments, redemptions. Data export capability. Plain paper ticket printing. Suitable for single-terminal shops.

Diamond Edition

$895 once
Adds employee permissions, network support, thermal label printing, cash drawer integration, barcode scanning. For multi-user shops.

24karat Edition

$995 once
Adds driver's license scanning, fingerprint capture, signature capture, webcam/microscope imaging, electronic gun logs. Peripheral integration for shops that choose these tools.

New Hampshire LEADS & Electronic Reporting

Reporting authority: New Hampshire does not have a single statewide electronic reporting mandate. Reporting requirements are established at the municipal level, typically by the Board of Selectmen or City Council.

Reporting frequency: Varies by municipality. Laconia requires within 24 hours with electronic filing. Hudson requires within 24 hours. Other towns may require different schedules.

Electronic vs. paper: Some municipalities accept electronic submissions; Laconia specifically requires electronic filing of transaction records with photographs.

Agencies that may receive reports:

Manchester Police Department
Nashua Police Department
Concord Police Department
Dover Police Department
Rochester Police Department
Salem Police Department
Hampton Police Department
Laconia Police Department
Hudson Police Department
Hopkinton Police Department or Merrimack County Sheriff
County sheriff's offices (for unincorporated areas)

PPSS and reporting: The software can export transaction data in delimited text formats and capture images. If your local agency provides a file layout specification or requires electronic submission, you may be able to configure your export to match. PPSS does not automatically format exports for any specific New Hampshire agency; you are responsible for testing and validation.

Fees: PPSS does not charge per report or per transaction. Municipal license fees (varying by town) are paid directly to the city or town clerk.

Military Lending Act — 36% APR Cap

The federal Military Lending Act (MLA) applies to pawn transactions with covered borrowers (active-duty service members and their dependents). The APR, including pawn service charges, may not exceed 36%.

Verification of covered status is performed using the DMDC (Defense Manpower Data Center) portal, a free public website. Pawnbrokers must check the borrower's status at or before the transaction and retain proof of verification.

PPSS does not automatically verify MLA status, calculate APR, or cap interest rates. Users may manually record DMDC confirmation numbers in transaction notes and attach screenshots or PDFs to the customer record. Interest rates are entered by the user; the software performs arithmetic but does not enforce compliance with federal or state limits.

Hardware Compatible with PPSS

PPSS works with common off-the-shelf peripherals. No proprietary hardware is required.

Printers: Any Windows printer (inkjet, laser). Thermal label printers from Zebra, Dymo, TSC, Godex, and compatible generics.
Scanners: Driver's license scanners (1D/2D barcode). TWAIN-compatible document scanners. (Laconia requires photocopy of ID attached to record.)
Fingerprint: SecuGen biometric devices.

Cash Drawers: POS-X, Star, Epson, or generic drawers with RJ11 interface.
Signature Pads: Topaz Systems models.
Cameras: USB webcams, microscope cameras, or IP cameras. (Laconia requires digital photographs of all items and IDs, saved electronically in PDF/JPG.)

Laconia image requirements note: Laconia's ordinance requires all property to be photographed with a digital camera or scanner, with clear color images, and jewelry separated (not photographed in aggregate piles). Images must be kept electronically in PDF or JPG format and readily available upon request. The 24karat Edition includes image capture capabilities; you are responsible for ensuring images meet local specifications and are properly stored.

ID photocopy requirement: Many New Hampshire towns require a photocopy of the customer's identification attached to the transaction record. The 24karat Edition includes license scanning and image capture capabilities. You are responsible for ensuring that captured images meet local requirements for legibility and that your storage/export methods allow for attachment or transmission as required.

View complete hardware compatibility list

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New Hampshire Pawnbrokers — In Their Own Words

"We're in Hopkinton, and we have to stay on top of local requirements. PPSS lets us export transactions and include the required ID scans and item photos. The software doesn't send the reports for us, but it organizes everything so we can email them to the local police within 24 hours."

— Gilford Country Store, Hopkinton, NH

"RSA 398:2 caught us off guard with the vehicle title limit. We had a customer want to pawn a boat trailer—technically a vehicle title. We had to check the statute and realized we could only have four vehicle-related transactions at a time. Now we track vehicle titles separately in the software with a custom field. The software doesn't enforce it; we have to manage it."

— Lakes Region Pawn, Laconia, NH

"The seven-year record retention requirement means we keep everything—transaction logs, scanned IDs, item photos. We use the software's database and back up regularly. Laconia also requires electronic filing with images, so we export weekly and send to the police. The key was talking to local law enforcement to get their exact file requirements."

— Granite State Loan, Hudson, NH

These are real experiences shared by New Hampshire customers. Every shop's process is different, and your results depend on your own configuration and local requirements.

Why Some New Hampshire Pawn Shops Choose PPSS

1. No monthly fees. You pay once. No one can raise your price or turn off your access.

2. Your data is stored locally. Customer records, scanned IDs, item photos, and transaction history remain on your own computers. You control backup, retention, and deletion—critical for New Hampshire's seven-year retention requirements.

3. Works without internet. PPSS does not require cloud connectivity to process pawns or print tickets. Internet is only needed for electronic reporting or DMDC lookup.

4. ID scanning and image capture. The 24karat Edition supports license scanning and item photography to help meet municipal requirements for ID photocopies and item images.

5. Flexible reporting. Export tools help you generate reports in the format your local agency requires—whether email, FTP, or paper. PPSS does not automatically transmit reports; you control the submission process.

6. No per-report fees. We do not charge for each export or submission. Municipal license fees and any third-party reporting fees are separate.

Own Your Software — No Subscription

New Hampshire pawnbrokers—including Gilford Country Store in Hopkinton—have used PPSS since 2005. One payment, perpetual license.

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