Secondhand Dealers & Pawnbrokers Licensing Authority

About the Licensing Authority

The new Act allows for the appointment of a Licensing Authority, who will be responsible for various functions, including the licensing and certification of secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers - managers and staff, and the establishment and maintenance of the electronic public registers of licence and certificate holders.

The Minister of Justice will be responsible for the appointment of the Authority in conjunction with the Minister of Courts.

The office of the Licensing Authority is a judicial office and appointments will be for a term of three years but can be renewed on reappointment.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for providing the Licensing Authority with the administrative and secretarial support it needs to enable it to exercise its powers, duties and functions efficiently and effectively.

The Tribunals Unit of the Special Jurisdictions Group of the Ministry of Justice is the specific business unit responsible for providing the services the Licensing Authority requires.

Ministry of Justice staff will provide the Authority, with administrative support.

Any inquiries you have, written or oral for the Licensing Authority must be made to the Authority's staff, in the first instance.

Public Registers

The Act requires that the Licensing Authority must establish and maintain, with up-to-date information, electronic public registers of licence and certificate holders.

The Licence register will contain the following information in relation to each licence holder:

- their full name

- principal place of business

- licence number

- date of licence issue

- if the holder is an individual, whether they are in partnership and if so,

the name of such partners

- if a company, the names of everyone concerned in its management

- the street address of every place of business used by the licence holder

- an email address if the licence holder agrees to supply one

The Certificate Register will contain:

- the full name of the holder

- the number of the certificate

- date of its issue

- whether the certificate has been suspended

The Authority will take all realistic steps to ensure access to the registers at all reasonable times and that you may obtain all or any part of the registers at no more than a reasonable cost.

If you want to obtain a full copy or order excerpts from the register, contact the staff at the Licensing Authority.