Pawn Loans on Gold & Watches in Dallas, TX

Dallas sits within a state that operates two major bullion-custody facilities—one private, one state-administered—and imposes zero sales tax on gold, silver, and platinum. That combination shapes how lenders and appraisers treat precious-metals collateral in the Texas market.

Dallas and Texas Bullion Infrastructure

The clearest Dallas-specific fact in precious-metals custody is this: International Depository Services of Texas operates its largest in-state facility in Dallas. The site was added in 2017 to serve increased demand and features Class III vaults at a location minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Class III is the highest vault security level used commercially. For a lending desk, that matters: two major institutional custody operations—one private, one state-administered—operate within the same state, with the private facility actually in Dallas. Where bonded high-security storage is available locally, bullion verification is faster and the secondary market for pledged metal is more liquid. Dallas has that infrastructure in place.

The state-administered operation is the Texas Bullion Depository. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 483 on June 19, 2015, authorizing the first state-administered depository in the United States. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced it was open for business on June 6, 2018. Its permanent home is a purpose-built, 40,000-square-foot facility on a 10-acre campus in Leander, completed in January 2020 and located roughly 200 miles southwest of Dallas. The facility holds a Class III vault rated for up to 12 million ounces of gold, platinum, or palladium, plus a separate secured area capable of holding more than 17.5 million ounces of silver. These figures are cited as regulatory context; the Texas Bullion Depository is a state institution, not a service connected to this desk.

Texas Tax Treatment of Gold and Precious Metals

Under Texas Tax Code § 151.336, Texas imposes zero sales or use tax on the sale of gold, silver, or platinum bullion and numismatic coins. That exemption applies at any purchase amount; HB 78, effective October 1, 2013, removed the prior $1,000 minimum threshold the statute previously required. Palladium is not explicitly covered—§ 151.336 names gold, silver, and platinum only.

Texas also imposes no state income tax, which means there is no state-level capital-gains exposure when a borrower redeems pledged metal that has risen in value since the loan was made. Federal tax obligations are unaffected and remain the borrower's responsibility. Nothing on this page constitutes tax advice; consult a qualified tax professional for your situation.

Texas Pawnshop Act: What the Statute Sets

Pawn lending in Texas is governed by the Texas Pawnshop Act, Tex. Fin. Code Chapter 371. Three provisions bear directly on any loan secured by gold or a watch:

• Service charge caps (§ 371.159). Monthly charges are tiered by loan size: 20% per month on the smallest tier, 15% per month on the second, 2½% per month on the third, and 1% per month above that. The dollar breakpoints between tiers are keyed to a cost-of-living formula under Subchapter C, Chapter 341 of the Finance Code; the statute does not state flat dollar thresholds.
• One-month initial term (§ 371.160). A pawn transaction may not carry a maturity date later than one month after the transaction date. The pledgor and pawnbroker may extend that date by written agreement.
• No personal-liability agreement (§ 371.171). A pawnbroker may not require the pledgor to accept personal liability in connection with a pawn transaction. The lender's recourse on an unredeemed item is limited to the pledged collateral.

That last provision is worth understanding before pledging any item. A borrower who does not redeem simply allows the loan to lapse; the lender takes the collateral and the transaction ends there. This differs from a secured personal loan, where default can trigger collections and credit reporting. Texas pawn law builds that separation in by statute, not by individual lender policy.

These provisions apply to licensed Texas pawnbrokers. Loans arranged through this desk are originated by licensed lender partners subject to applicable state law. The rates and terms above reflect statutory caps and are general guidance only—not a loan offer or commitment to lend. See our disclosures page for full licensing and regulatory information.

Collateral We Accept in Dallas

Our lender partners consider gold bullion, gold jewelry, and luxury watches. The offer on any piece depends on purity, condition, maker, and current spot price. The process is conducted remotely: you receive a prepaid shipping label, your item is appraised by specialists, and you receive an offer before anything is finalized. For detail on what qualifies, see the gold collateral page and the watch collateral page. The how it works page covers the full sequence from inquiry to funded loan. Questions about a specific piece before you ship? Contact us directly.

Loans are originated by licensed lender partners. Loan offers, terms, rates and final decisions are made by the originating licensed lender at appraisal — figures shown here are general guidance, not loan offers.

Last reviewed September 3, 2026.