(a) No person shall engage in the business of financing insurance premiums in this State without first having obtained a license as a premium finance company from the Commissioner, unless such person is exempted from obtaining such a license pursuant to § 4810 of this title. The fee for such a license shall be the sum of $ 500 per year which license shall be valid until the 1st day of January at which time it may be renewed for a full year and every year thereafter provided that the licensee shall have paid the said annual license fee of $ 500 and shall otherwise qualify for a license hereunder. All fees for licenses hereunder shall be paid to the Commissioner. The increase in fees collected in Fiscal Year 2018 pursuant to this section shall be used solely to make appropriations for certain grants-in-aid for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.
(b) All licensees or persons applying for licenses shall file sworn answers to such questions as the Commissioner may deem appropriate. The Commissioner shall have authority at any time to require the applicant to fully disclose the identity of all stockholders, partners, officers and employees and the Commissioner may refuse to issue or renew a license in the name of any firm, partnership or corporation so long as the Commissioner remains satisfied that any officer, employee, stockholder or partner thereof who may materially influence the applicant's conduct fails to meet the standards of this chapter.