(1) To apply for a license as a money services business under this chapter, the applicant must submit:
(a) An application to the office on forms prescribed by rule which includes the following information:
1. The legal name and address of the applicant, including any fictitious or trade names used by the applicant in the conduct of its business.
2. The date of the applicant’s formation and the state in which the applicant was formed, if applicable.
3. The name, social security number, alien identification or taxpayer identification number, business and residence addresses, and employment history for the past 5 years for each officer, director, responsible person, the compliance officer, each controlling shareholder, and any other person who has a controlling interest in the money services business as provided in s. 560.127.
4. A description of the organizational structure of the applicant, including the identity of any parent or subsidiary of the applicant, and the disclosure of whether any parent or subsidiary is publicly traded.
5. The applicant’s history of operations in other states if applicable and a description of the money services business or deferred presentment provider activities proposed to be conducted by the applicant in this state.
6. If the applicant or its parent is a publicly traded company, copies of all filings made by the applicant with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or with a similar regulator in a country other than the United States, within the preceding year.
7. The location at which the applicant proposes to establish its principal place of business and any other location, including branch offices and authorized vendors operating in this state. For each branch office and each location of an authorized vendor, the applicant shall include the nonrefundable fee required by s. 560.143.
8. The name and address of the clearing financial institution or financial institutions through which the applicant’s payment instruments are drawn or through which the payment instruments are payable.
9. The history of the applicant’s material litigation, criminal convictions, pleas of nolo contendere, and cases of adjudication withheld.
10. The history of material litigation, arrests, criminal convictions, pleas of nolo contendere, and cases of adjudication withheld for each executive officer, director, controlling shareholder, and responsible person.
11. The name of the registered agent in this state for service of process unless the applicant is a sole proprietor.
12. Any other information specified in this chapter or by rule.
(b) A nonrefundable application fee as provided in s. 560.143.
(c) Fingerprints for each person listed in subparagraph (a)3. for live-scan processing in accordance with rules adopted by the commission.
1. The fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement to provide live-scan fingerprinting.
2. The Department of Law Enforcement must conduct the state criminal history background check, and a federal criminal history background check must be conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
3. All fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement must be submitted electronically and entered into the statewide automated fingerprint identification system established in s. 943.05(2)(b) and available for use in accordance with s. 943.05(2)(g) and (h). The office shall pay an annual fee to the Department of Law Enforcement to participate in the system and shall inform the Department of Law Enforcement of any person whose fingerprints no longer must be retained.
4. The costs of fingerprint processing, including the cost of retaining the fingerprints, shall be borne by the person subject to the background check.
5. The office shall review the results of the state and federal criminal history background checks and determine whether the applicant meets licensure requirements.
6. For purposes of this paragraph, fingerprints are not required to be submitted if the applicant is a publicly traded corporation or is exempted from this chapter under s. 560.104(1). The term “publicly traded” means a stock is currently traded on a national securities exchange registered with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission or traded on an exchange in a country other than the United States regulated by a regulator equivalent to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the disclosure and reporting requirements of such regulator are substantially similar to those of the commission.
7. Licensees initially approved before October 1, 2013, who are seeking renewal must submit fingerprints for each person listed in subparagraph (a)3. for live-scan processing pursuant to this paragraph. Such fingerprints must be submitted before renewing a license that is scheduled to expire between April 30, 2014, and December 31, 2015.
(d) A copy of the applicant’s written anti-money laundering program required under 31 C.F.R. s. 1022.210.
(e) Within the time allotted by rule, any information needed to resolve any deficiencies found in the application.
(2) If the office determines that the applicant meets the qualifications and requirements of this chapter, the office shall issue a license to the applicant. A license may not be issued for more than 2 years.
(a) A license issued under part II of this chapter shall expire on April 30 of the second year following the date of issuance of the license unless during such period the license is surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
(b) A license issued under part III of this chapter shall expire on December 31 of the second year following the date of issuance of the license unless during such period the license is surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
History.—s. 26, ch. 2008-177; s. 69, ch. 2009-21; s. 2, ch. 2009-185; s. 55, ch. 2013-116; s. 4, ch. 2013-201; s. 6, ch. 2014-81.