County pawn law heads toward final approval

The second reading of a county-wide pawnbroker ordinance to help law enforcement officers recover stolen property was approved Monday by the Flathead County commissioners.

The commissioners are poised to adopt the ordinance on April 13, and it will become effective 30 days after that.

The proposal is similar to Kalispell’s ordinance that requires pawn shops to use online software to connect their inventory to the police department. It will require pawnbrokers in the county to get the customer’s name, date of birth and documentation from one or more identification documents, including a valid state ID card, valid state driver’s license, military ID card, a valid passport, an alien registration card of an official ID document issued by a state or federal government.

The new law further will require pawnbrokers to input information about who pawned the items and what they pawned into a computer database that officers then electronically track.

Secondhand stores will not be subject to the new county regulations.