No person shall engage in business as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer unless he
obtains a regulatory permit issued by the building director. Such a permit shall be
issued only to a person of good moral character as defined in section 22-1. An applicant shall apply in writing to the building department and provide a Florida
Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History Information Report obtained from the
Ocala Police Department at the applicant’s request and expense. The building director
shall deny the permit only if the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History
Information Report shows that the applicant has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor
involving a crime of theft, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude. A denial of a permit
by the building director can be appealed to the city council. On appeal city council
may direct the permit issued by the building director if it finds that the permit
was wrongly withheld by the building director or if city council finds that the applicant
has otherwise demonstrated to be of good moral character despite the previous disqualifying
criminal involvement. An appeal must be in writing and filed within 30 days after
the decision is rendered by the building director.
