(a) A person may not transact business in this state as an investment adviser unless the person is registered under this chapter as an investment adviser or is exempt from registration as an investment adviser under (b) of this section.
(b) The following persons are exempt from the registration requirement in (a) of this section:
(1) a person without a place of business in this state that is registered under the securities act of the state in which the person has the person's principal place of business if the person's only clients in this state are
(A) federal covered investment advisers, investment advisers registered under this chapter, or broker-dealers registered under this chapter;
(B) institutional investors;
(C) bona fide preexisting clients whose principal places of residence are not in this state if the investment adviser is registered under the securities act of the state in which the clients maintain principal places of residence; or
(D) exempted by a regulation adopted or order issued under this chapter;
(2) a person without a place of business in this state if the person has had, during the preceding 12 months, not more than five clients that are resident in this state in addition to those specified under (1) of this subsection; or
(3) any other person exempted by a regulation adopted or order issued under this chapter.
(c) An investment adviser may not, directly or indirectly, employ or associate with an individual to engage in an activity related to investment advice in this state if the registration of the individual is suspended or revoked or the individual is barred from employment or association with an investment adviser, federal covered investment adviser, or broker-dealer by an order under this chapter, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or a self-regulatory organization, unless the investment adviser did not know and, in the exercise of reasonable care, could not have known of the suspension, revocation, or bar. Upon request from the investment adviser and for good cause, the administrator may by order, waive, in whole or in part, the application of the prohibitions of this subsection to the investment adviser.
(d) An investment adviser may not employ or associate with an individual required to be registered under this chapter as an investment adviser representative who transacts business in this state on behalf of the investment adviser unless the individual is registered under AS 45.56.350(a) or is exempt from registration under AS 45.56.350(b).