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Pawnbrokers Act

(CHAPTER 222, Section 50)

Pawnbrokers Rules

R 1

REVISED EDITION 1994

(30th March 1994)

[1st December 1977]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Pawnbrokers Rules.

Application for licence

2. An application for the issue or renewal of a licence shall be made to the Registrar and shall be in such form as he may require.

Particulars required in application

3.—(1) Every applicant for the issue or renewal of a licence shall at his own expense provide 3 copies of a recent photograph of himself.

(2) Where an application is made —

(a)	by a body corporate, the application shall be made in the name of the body corporate and signed by the managing director or the general manager of the company; or
(b)	by a firm, the application shall be made in the name of a partner or the general manager of the firm.

Notice of application, etc.

4. Every applicant for the issue of a licence shall —

(a)	at his own expense, advertise his application within one week of the date thereof in one English and one Chinese newspaper for two consecutive days;
(b)	cause a copy of the application to be posted for a period of 3 weeks from the date thereof at the principal entrance to the premises to which the application refers; and
(c)	permit the Registrar or any person authorised in writing by him, any police officer not below the rank of Inspector and any officer authorised in writing in that behalf by the appropriate building authority to enter and inspect his premises.

Applications to be referred to Police and building authority and to be posted on notice board

5. The Registrar shall immediately upon receipt of any application for the issue or renewal of a licence —

(a)	forward a copy thereof to the Commissioner of Police for investigation; and
(b)	cause a copy thereof to be posted on the public notice board of the Registry of Pawnbrokers.

Notice of objection

6.—(1) Any person may lodge with the Registrar within 3 weeks of the date of any application for the issue of a licence a written notice of objection to the issue of the licence.

(2) Every notice of objection shall be signed by the person lodging it and shall state briefly the reasons for his objection.

(3) The person lodging the notice of objection may appear at the Registrar’s office in person or by an advocate and solicitor to support the objection.

(4) The Registrar shall not be bound to consider any notice of objection which does not comply with this rule.

Grounds of objection to be referred to applicant

7. The Registrar shall upon receipt of a notice of objection under rule 6 forthwith inform the applicant and the Commissioner of Police of the grounds of the objection.

Fee for licence

8.—(1) The licence issued by the Registrar shall be in such form as he may direct.

(2) The fee for every licence shall be $2,500.

Monthly returns

9.—(1) Every pawnbroker shall submit monthly returns to the Registrar which shall be in such form as the Registrar may require. Such returns shall reach the Registrar not later than the end of the second week of the following month.

(2) Any pawnbroker who neglects or fails to submit such monthly returns shall be guilty of an offence.

Duty to give information

10.—(1) Every pawnbroker shall furnish to the Registrar or any person authorised in writing by him, at such time and in such manner as the Registrar may reasonably require, information and data relating to his business as a pawnbroker.

(2) Every pawnbroker who —

(a)	neglects or fails to furnish such information or data within the time specified by the Registrar or any person authorised in writing by him; or
(b)	wilfully withholds or furnishes any false or misleading information or data to the Registrar or any person authorised in writing by him,

shall be guilty of an offence.

Inspection of pledge-book, etc.

11. The Registrar may by notice in writing require any pawnbroker to produce for his inspection or for the inspection of any person authorised in writing by him any pledge-book, sale-book of pledges or other books or documents relating to his business as a pawnbroker.

Licence not to be transferred

12. No pawnbroker shall transfer or assign the benefit of his licence to any other person.

Signboard

13. Every pawnbroker shall keep displayed in a conspicuous place outside the pawnshop a signboard to be approved by the Registrar showing plainly in the English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil languages the name of the pawnshop.

Display of licence

14. Every pawnbroker shall keep displayed in a conspicuous place in the public part of the pawnshop the licence to conduct pawnbroking business.

Particulars to be entered on pawntickets

15. Every pawnbroker shall keep a copy of each pawn ticket given under section 15 of the Act.

Form of pledge-book in respect of loans not exceeding $50

16.—(1) Every pawnbroker shall keep a pledge-book in the English language in respect of loans not exceeding $50.

(2) Every such pledge-book shall contain the following particulars:

(a)	the pledge number;
(b)	the date of pawning;
(c)	the name and race of, or dialect spoken by, the pawner;
(d)	the address and identity card number of the pawner;
(e)	the name and race of, or dialect spoken by, the owner, if other than the pawner;
(f)	the identity card number and address of the owner, if other than the pawner;
(g)	the amount of the loan;
(h)	the description of the article pawned, including the manufacturer’s serial number or the identifiable marks embossed on it, if any;
(i)	the date of redemption;
(j)	the profit charged; and
(k)	the date the article was sold.

Form of pledge-book in respect of loans exceeding $50

17.—(1) Every pawnbroker shall keep a pledge-book in the English language in respect of loans exceeding $50.

(2) Every such pledge-book shall, in addition to the particulars specified in rule 16(2)(a) to (j), contain the following particulars:

(a)	the name, identity card number and address of a guarantor who shall vouch for the owner that the goods presented for pledging are not stolen properties where a loan exceeds $200; and
(b)	the lot reference in the sale-book of pledges.

(3) Paragraph (2)(a) shall not apply where the purchase receipt for the pledge is surrendered to the pawnbroker by the owner at the time of pawn.

Particulars of person redeeming pledges

18. Every pawnbroker shall record in the pledge-book the name, sex, address, identity card number and race of the person who produces the pawnticket for redemption of pledges.

Two sale-books of pledges to be kept by pawnbrokers

19.—(1) Every pawnbroker shall keep two sale-books of pledges in the English language, one for pledges for loans exceeding $50 and the other for pledges for loans not exceeding $50.

(2) Every sale-book of pledges for loans exceeding $50 shall contain the following particulars:

(a)	the auctioneer’s lot number;
(b)	the pledge number;
(c)	the description of the article;
(d)	the amount of the loan;
(e)	the amount realised; and
(f)	the name and address of the auctioneer.

(3) Every sale-book of pledges for loans not exceeding $50 shall contain the following particulars:

(a)	the date when the article was pawned;
(b)	the pledge number;
(c)	the description of the article;
(d)	the amount of the loan;
(e)	the selling price of the article;
(f)	the date it was sold; and
(g)	the name, identity card number and address of the purchaser.

Fee

20. The fee payable for a licence under section 20(4) of the Act for selling unredeemed pledges shall be $500 per annum.