PawnSmarts comes pre-configured for Utah — it captures every field Title 13, Chapter 32a requires, formats reports for the statewide central database, and tracks your hold and redemption deadlines automatically.
Utah pawnbrokers are regulated under Utah Code Title 13, Chapter 32a, which requires every pawn and purchase transaction to be recorded with a defined set of register fields, submitted to a statewide central database accessible to law enforcement, and held for a statutory period before resale. It is one of the most detailed transaction-reporting frameworks in the country: shops must capture the customer's right index fingerprint, positive ID and signature, calculate interest and fees, and track each loan's hold and redemption deadlines. PawnSmarts handles that heavy lifting — recording the full register, formatting reports for the central database, and keeping every hold and redemption clock running so nothing slips while you stay focused on the counter.
Utah governs pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers under the Pawnshop, Secondhand Merchandise, and Catalytic Converter Transaction Information Act — Utah Code Title 13, Chapter 32a. The Act sets out exactly what you must record on every transaction, requires you to report to a statewide central database, fixes holding periods before resale, and gives law enforcement access to the data. Below is what the statute requires and how PawnSmarts is set up to handle each piece. None of this replaces legal advice — it restates the rules so you can see how the software fits them.
Utah Code §13-32a-105 creates a statewide central database that acts as the repository for all pawn and secondhand transaction information. Every pawnbroker and secondhand merchandise dealer must submit transaction records to it, and the database is accessible to law enforcement.
Utah Code §13-32a-104 sets the register requirements. For every pawn or purchase, the law requires you to capture:
Multiple-article exception. When several similar articles without serial numbers, precious metals or gemstones are delivered together — musical recordings, books, hand tools and the like — the description is adequate if it records the quantity and type of articles delivered.
PawnSmarts gives you a dedicated field for each of these items. Scan a Utah license to auto-fill name, address, date of birth and ID number; capture the right index fingerprint, signature and item photos on the same screen; and let the software stamp the date, time and employee on the entry. A complete Utah pawn takes about 30 seconds.
Utah Code §13-32a-109 sets the holding period for pawned or purchased property. You must hold the property for the statutory period before it can be sold or disposed of. PawnSmarts tracks each item's hold clock and flags it the moment it becomes eligible for sale — so nothing goes out early and nothing sits forgotten.
Because §13-32a-104 requires you to record the date by which each article must be redeemed, PawnSmarts puts that redemption deadline on every ticket and tracks it for you. On the Professional plan, pledgors get three automatic reminders by text and email before a loan comes due, with a secure link to pay online — fewer forfeitures and fewer surprised customers.
Title 13, Chapter 32a also tells you what you may not accept:
PawnSmarts supports compliance with date-of-birth fields, a defaced-property flag and notes fields on each transaction — but the decision to accept or refuse an item stays with you and your staff.
Utah Code §13-32a-108 requires records to be retained and made available for reasonable inspection, and information in the central database is held for five years before deletion. PawnSmarts keeps your full transaction history searchable, with offline copies that auto-sync, so you can produce records for inspection without digging through paper.
Utah Code §13-32a-110 sets penalties for violations. A violation of §13-32a-104, the register requirements, is a class B misdemeanor and is also subject to civil penalties. Accurate, complete records are your best protection — which is exactly what PawnSmarts is built to capture.
Utah Code §13-32a-114 addresses preemption of local ordinances. State law provides a uniform framework, but cities can impose additional requirements. Examples present in Utah municipal codes include:
A $1,000 bond is required before a license is issued.
License required and conspicuously displayed (§7-4-102); background check through the Bureau of Criminal Identification (§7-4-103); no license for persons convicted of receiving stolen goods, burglary or robbery; annual fee set by Council resolution (§7-4-104); transaction records to the Chief of Police within seven days in a Police-Department-approved electronic format (§7-4-106); no transactions with minors without written parental consent (§7-4-107) or with intoxicated persons (§7-4-108); duty to report suspected stolen goods (§7-4-109); hours 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., closed Sunday (§7-4-111); class B misdemeanor penalty up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months (§7-4-113).
Records must be kept and reported in accordance with Utah Code §§13-32a-104 through 108.
PawnSmarts is your recordkeeping and reporting engine: its flexible export tools can generate the records a city like Springville needs in the format the police department asks for. It does not track your licenses, bonds or background checks — obtaining and maintaining those stays with you. Requirements vary by city and change over time, so verify current rules with your city or county clerk.
PawnSmarts is $89/month for the Essential plan or $129/month for Professional — month to month, cancel anytime, no contract and no setup fee. Prefer to own it outright? Professional is also available as a one-time purchase for $2,995. It can even be free when you run your card processing through PawnSmarts. Data migration is a one-time $295, done for you, with most shops live in under 24 hours.
See the bigger picture in what pawn shop software does, browse the states we serve, or review the US state licensing guide to confirm what your software has to do. For the reporting side, see how PawnSmarts handles police reporting and LeadsOnline exports, and compare PawnSmarts feature-for-feature on our comparison page.
Under Utah Code §13-32a-105, every pawnbroker and secondhand merchandise dealer must submit transaction records to the statewide central database operated by the Division of Consumer Protection. The database is accessible to law enforcement, retains information for five years, and can report the volume of business an individual has conducted with any pawnbroker within the previous 30 days. PawnSmarts formats your transactions for same-day electronic submission to this database so the data leaves your shop without re-keying.
Utah Code §13-32a-104 requires a legible fingerprint of the customer's right index finger on every pawn or purchase transaction. If the right index finger is unavailable, the left index finger may be used with a written notation on the record explaining the substitution. PawnSmarts captures the right index fingerprint alongside the ID scan, signature and item photos on a single intake screen.
Utah Code §13-32a-109 sets the holding period for pawned or purchased property, and the item must be held for that statutory period before it can be sold or disposed of. PawnSmarts tracks each item's hold clock and flags it the moment it becomes eligible for sale, so nothing goes out early and nothing sits forgotten.
Under Utah Code §13-32a-110, a violation of the register requirements in §13-32a-104 is a class B misdemeanor and is also subject to civil penalties. Maintaining accurate, complete records on every transaction is the primary protection against these penalties, which is exactly what PawnSmarts is built to capture.
Pawn shop software is typically priced as a monthly subscription or a one-time license. PawnSmarts is $89/month for the Essential plan or $129/month for Professional — month to month, with no contract and no setup fee — or a one-time purchase of $2,995, and it can be free when you run your card processing through PawnSmarts. Data migration is a one-time $295 and most shops are live in under 24 hours.
Open the live demo and click around. If it looks right, sign up and we'll move your data.
Questions? [email protected] · 800-710-6184