(a) Except as provided for in section 36a-580, no person shall engage in the business of cashing checks, drafts or money orders for consideration without obtaining a general facility license for its main office and a general or limited facility license for each branch office location where such business is to be conducted. Any activity subject to licensure pursuant to sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive, shall be conducted from an office located in the state, as defined in section 36a-2.
(b) Each licensee of a limited facility shall continuously maintain at least one operating general facility. A licensee of a limited facility shall not pay any compensation or consideration to any employer.
(c) An application for a check cashing license or renewal of such license shall be made and processed on the system pursuant to section 36a-24b, in the form provided by the commissioner. Each such form shall contain content as set forth by instruction or procedure of the commissioner and may be changed or updated as necessary by the commissioner in order to carry out the purposes of sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive. The applicant shall, at minimum, furnish to the system information concerning the identity of the applicant, any control person of the applicant, the qualified individual and any branch manager responsible for the actions of the licensee, including, but not limited to, information related to such person's personal history and experience, and any administrative, civil or criminal findings by any governmental jurisdiction relating to such person. Each application for an initial license shall also include: (1) Each location where the check cashing business is to be conducted and the type of facility that will be operated at that location; (2) the business plan of each location, which shall include the proposed days and hours of operation; (3) the amount of liquid assets available for each location, which shall not be less than the amount specified in subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of this section; (4) for each limited facility, a copy of the executed contract evidencing the proposed arrangement between the applicant and the employer; and (5) any other information that the commissioner may require. As part of an application, the commissioner may (A) in accordance with section 29-17a, conduct a state or national criminal history records check of the applicant, any control person of the applicant, the qualified individual and any branch manager, and (B) in accordance with section 36a-24b, (i) require the submission of fingerprints of the applicant, any control person of the applicant, the qualified individual and any branch manager to the Federal Bureau of Investigation or other state, national or international criminal databases, and (ii) investigate the financial condition of each such person and require authorization of each such person for the system and the commissioner to obtain an independent credit report from a consumer reporting agency, as described in Section 603(p) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681a, as amended from time to time.
(d) (1) No licensee may use any name other than its legal name or a fictitious name approved by the commissioner, provided such licensee may not use its legal name if the commissioner disapproves use of such name. No licensee shall use any name and address other than the name and address specified on the license issued by the commissioner. A licensee may change the name of the licensee or address of the office specified on the most recent filing with the system if, at least thirty calendar days prior to such change, the licensee files such change with the system and the commissioner does not disapprove such change, in writing, or request further information from the licensee within such thirty-day period.
(2) A licensee of a limited facility shall not change its approved days and hours of operation, unless the licensee files an amendment on the system at least thirty days prior to the effective date of such change and receives the approval of the commissioner.
(e) Upon the filing of the required application, the applicable license fee and any other required fees or charges, the commissioner shall investigate the facts and may issue a license if the commissioner finds that (1) the applicant and the applicant's control persons, qualified individual and any branch managers are in all respects properly qualified and of good character, including, but not limited to, financial character, (2) granting such license would not be against the public interest, (3) the applicant has a feasible plan for conducting business, (4) the applicant has available and shall continuously maintain liquid assets of at least ten thousand dollars for each general facility location and at least two thousand five hundred dollars for each limited facility location specified in the application, and (5) the name of the applicant is not likely to cause a consumer to reasonably believe that such applicant is in any way endorsed by or affiliated with this state. If the commissioner fails to make such findings or if the commissioner finds that the applicant has made any material misstatement in the application, the commissioner shall not issue a license and shall notify the applicant of the denial and the reasons for such denial. The commissioner may deny an application if the commissioner finds that the applicant or any control person, qualified individual or branch manager of the applicant has been convicted of any misdemeanor involving any aspect of the check cashing services business, or any felony. Any denial of an application by the commissioner shall, when applicable, be subject to the provisions of section 46a-80.
(f) Except as otherwise specified in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 36a-583 and subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of this section, each check cashing applicant or licensee and each individual designated as a control person, qualified individual or branch manager of such applicant or licensee shall file on the system any change in the information such licensee, applicant, control person, qualified individual or branch manager most recently submitted to the system in connection with the application or license, or, if the information cannot be filed on the system, notify the commissioner, in writing, not later than fifteen days after the date such applicant, licensee, control person, qualified individual or branch manager had reason to know of the change. A check cashing licensee shall file with the system or, if the information cannot be filed on the system, notify the commissioner, in writing, of the occurrence of any of the following developments not later than fifteen days after the date the licensee had reason to know of the development:
(1) Filing for bankruptcy or the consummation of a corporate restructuring of the licensee;
(2) Filing of a criminal indictment against the licensee in any way related to the check cashing activities of the licensee, or receiving notification of the filing of any criminal felony indictment or felony conviction of any control person, branch manager or qualified individual of the licensee;
(3) Receiving notification of the institution of license denial, cease and desist, suspension or revocation procedures, or other formal or informal action by any governmental agency against the licensee or any control person, branch manager or qualified individual of the licensee and the reasons therefor;
(4) Receiving notification of the initiation of any action against the licensee or any control person, branch manager or qualified individual of the licensee by the Attorney General or the attorney general of any other state and the reasons therefor;
(5) Receiving notification of filing for bankruptcy of any control person, branch manager or qualified individual of the licensee; or
(6) Any decrease in the amount of liquid assets available for each location below the minimum amount required pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (e) of this section.
(g) The commissioner may deem an application for a license for a general facility or limited facility abandoned if the applicant fails to respond to any request for information required under sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant to said sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive. The commissioner shall notify the applicant on the system that if such information is not submitted not later than sixty days after such request, the application shall be deemed abandoned. An application filing fee paid prior to the date an application is deemed abandoned pursuant to this subsection shall not be refunded. Abandonment of an application pursuant to this subsection shall not preclude the applicant from submitting a new application for a license under sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive.
(h) The minimum standards for renewal of a check cashing license shall include the following: (1) The applicant continues to meet the minimum standards under subsection (c) of this section; (2) the applicant has paid all required fees for renewal of the license; and (3) the applicant has paid any outstanding examination fees or other moneys due to the commissioner. The license of a check cashing licensee failing to satisfy the minimum standards for license renewal shall expire. The commissioner may adopt procedures for the reinstatement of expired licenses consistent with the standards established by the system. Each license shall remain in force and effect until the license has been surrendered, revoked or suspended or has expired in accordance with the provisions of sections 36a-580 to 36a-589, inclusive.
(P.A. 88-200, S. 2; P.A. 89-178, S. 2, 8; P.A. 91-11, S. 1; P.A. 94-122, S. 270, 340; P.A. 95-253, S. 13, 19; P.A. 04-14, S. 1; P.A. 05-46, S. 8; 05-288, S. 223; P.A. 06-35, S. 4; P.A. 08-119, S. 8, 9; P.A. 09-208, S. 10, 12; 09-209, S. 40; P.A. 11-216, S. 34; P.A. 17-233, S. 34; P.A. 18-173, S. 43.)
History: P.A. 89-178 substituted the commissioner of banking for the commissioner of consumer protection in Subsec. (a); Sec. 21-112 transferred to Sec. 36-565 in 1991; P.A. 91-11 amended Subsec. (c) to insert Subdiv. indicators, adding provisions to require the commissioner, prior to issuing a license, to find a need in the community for the services to be provided by the applicant and that the applicant has a feasible business plan; P.A. 94-122 made technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 36-565 transferred to Sec. 36a-581 in 1995; P.A. 95-253 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for separate licenses for general and limited facilities, added a new Subsec. (b) to require a licensee of a limited facility to maintain at least one general facility, relettered Subsec. (b) as (c) and amended Subsec. (c) by providing for the form of application and by adding Subdivs. (4) to (7), inclusive, re the contents of the application, added a new Subsec. (d) re change in location, in type of facility or in time of operation, relettered Subsec. (c) as (e) and amended Subsec. (e) by adding new Subdivs. (2) and (3) re applications by firms, partnerships or corporations, deleting former Subdiv. (3) re need for services, renumbering Subdivs. (4) and (5) as (5) and (6), respectively, and adding a fee for each limited facility in Subdiv. (6), effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 04-14 amended Subsec. (c) to insert new Subdiv. (4) requiring application to set forth the names and addresses of each manager and authorized agent if applicant is a limited liability company and to redesignate existing Subdivs. (4) to (8) as Subdivs. (5) to (9), respectively, amended Subsec. (d) to restate provisions and require approval of the commissioner for application for change in location, to provide that licensee of limited facility shall not change approved days and hours of operation unless licensee files application with and receives approval of commissioner, and to eliminate prohibition re change in the type of facility, amended Subsec. (e) to insert new Subdiv. (4) authorizing commissioner to issue license if commissioner finds that each manager and authorized agent is in all respects properly qualified and of good character if applicant is a limited liability company and to redesignate existing Subdivs. (4) to (6) as Subdivs. (5) to (7), respectively, and added Subsec. (f) requiring applicant or licensee to notify commissioner of any change in information provided; P.A. 05-46 amended Subsec. (d) to prohibit licensee from changing the name specified on license unless licensee files application, pays applicable name change fee specified in Sec. 36a-582 and receives approval of commissioner; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(7), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-35 amended Subsec. (d) to prohibit licensee from using any name other than the name specified on the license issued by commissioner, and amended Subsec. (e) to delete reference to application fees and to insert reference to location fees; P.A. 08-119 amended Subsec. (c)(4) and Subsec. (e)(4) by replacing “manager” with “member”; P.A. 09-208 amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdiv. (5) requiring license application to include a history of criminal convictions and by redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (9) as Subdivs. (6) to (10), and amended Subsec. (e) by authorizing commissioner to deny application based on certain criminal convictions, effective July 7, 2009; P.A. 09-209 made a technical change, effective July 9, 2009; P.A. 11-216 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision re ten-year period re history of criminal convictions and add provision authorizing commissioner to conduct state and national criminal history records check of applicant and each member, officer, director, authorized agent and shareholder owning at least 10% of outstanding stock of applicant, amended Subsec. (e) to delete provision re ten-year period re misdemeanor and felony convictions, and added Subsec. (g) re abandonment of application; P.A. 17-233 amended Subsec. (e) by adding Subdiv. (8) re name of applicant not likely to cause consumer to believe applicant is endorsed or affiliated with this state, and making a technical change; P.A. 18-173 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “general facility”, replacing “to operate a general facility or a license to operate a limited facility” with “for its main office and a general or limited facility license”, adding “branch office” and adding provision re licensed activity to be conducted from an office in the state, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “in writing, under oath on a” with “made and processed on the system pursuant to section 36a-24b in the”, adding provision re content of form, deleting former Subdivs. (1) to (10) re application requirements, adding new Subdivs. (1) to (5) re same, adding provisions re commissioner's authority to conduct background checks, require submission of fingerprints and investigate financial condition of certain persons, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provisions re change to licensee's name and location specified on license, change to limited facility's approved days and hours of operation, and licensee's use of name other than name specified on license, adding Subdiv. (1) re use of and change to name and address of licensee, and adding Subdiv. (2) re change to approved days and hours of operation, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “license and location fees” with “license fee and any other required fees or charges”, adding “and the applicant's control persons, qualified individual and any branch managers are” and “including, but not limited to, financial character” in Subdiv. (1), deleting former Subdivs. (2) to (4) re if applicant is a firm or partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company, respectively, redesignating existing Subdivs. (5) to (7) as Subdivs. (2) to (5), adding provision re commissioner's failure to make certain findings or findings of material misstatement in application, replacing “or any member, officer, director, or authorized agent or shareholder owning ten per cent or more of the outstanding stock of the applicant” with “or any control person, qualified individual or branch manager of the applicant”, amended Subsec. (f) by replacing existing provisions re notification by applicant or licensee, adding provisions re filing certain information on the system or notification to commissioner, amended Subsec. (g) by replacing “in writing” with “on the system” and replacing “36a-560” with “36a-580”, added Subsec. (h) re check cashing license, and made technical and conforming changes.