How Old Do You Have to Be to Pawn Stuff?

One commonly asked question we receive is “How old do I have to be to pawn my items?” 

Like most things in this day and age, you do have to be a minimum of 18 years old to pawn stuff. The reason for this is based solely around the act of pawning itself. Pawning an item is akin to entering into a contract. Unfortunately, you do have to be 18 years of age because a minor can not enter into a legally binding contract whether it is a verbal contract or a written contract. It’s not a choice of discrimination from the pawnshop’s side of things but rather a law that must be followed by the state.

If a parent suspects their children may have stolen and later pawned an item, it would be important to recognize that it would be extremely unlikely that they did the actual pawning of the item themselves. However, it is possible that a minor could potentially get around this rule by asking a relative or older friend who is over the age of 18 to pawn the item for them. These actions are a potential loophole to the age required. Even with that said, there’s no need to worry. Pawn shops do not sell stolen items, they will be returned to their rightful owner.

The sad reality is that people of all ages can attempt to sell stuff that doesn't belong to them. At our pawnshop we make a strong effort to understand the history of ownership regarding an item, and ensure that the person bringing the item in is truly the owner of such item. We may ask a series of questions about where the item was obtained, how long the customer has owned it, and even as far as how to use the item. If the customer seems confused about the function of an item that can provide insight into whether or not we will choose to buy the item from them. Even in addition to that, it’s important to recognize that pawn shops have regulations and rules in place to prevent any wrongful selling. It’s very easy to be caught red handed when selling stolen goods due to safeguards in place and the rules we enforce in each pawnshop.

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No matter the circumstances, it’s reassuring to know that your local pawnshop, Sportsmans Pawn, takes pride in protecting themselves and the community against fraud. We’ve been nominated for Salt Lake City’s best Pawn Shop for the fantastic work we do here! Please help us out by voting for us HERE as your favorite pawn shop in the shopping category!