(a) An application for a certificate of authority shall be made in the form required by the department and must be supported by the information, data, records, and opinions of counsel required by the department. The application must be accompanied by all fees and deposits required by this chapter.

(b) The department may grant a certificate of authority only if the department receives evidence from the applicant that the department determines demonstrates that the establishment of the proposed trust company will serve public convenience and well-being. The evidence must address the following factors:

(1) the market to be served;

(2) whether the proposed organizational structure, capital structure, and amount of initial capitalization are adequate for the proposed trust company and its location;

(3) whether the anticipated volume and nature of the proposed trust company indicates a reasonable probability of success and profitability based on the market sought to be served;

(4) whether, as a group, the proposed officers, directors, and employees have sufficient fiduciary experience, ability, standing, competence, trustworthiness, and integrity to justify a belief that the proposed trust company will operate in compliance with the law and that success of the proposed trust company is probable;

(5) whether each principal shareholder has sufficient experience, ability, standing, competence, trustworthiness, and integrity to justify a belief that the proposed trust company will be free from improper or unlawful influence or interference with respect to the trust company's operation in compliance with the law; and

(6) whether the persons organizing the trust company are acting in good faith.

(c) The applicant for a certificate of authority bears the burden of establishing that public convenience and well-being will be served by the establishment of the trust company. The failure of an applicant to furnish required information, data, opinions of counsel, other material, the required fee, or a required deposit is considered an abandonment of the application.

(d) An applicant shall pay under AS 06.01.010 the investigation expenses incurred by the department in processing an application for a certificate of authority. When submitting an application to the department, the applicant shall pay the department $2,000 as an advance payment of the investigation expenses incurred by the department. If the investigation expenses incurred by the department are less than $2,000, the department shall promptly refund the excess to the applicant. If the investigation expenses incurred by the department are greater than $2,000, the department may obtain reimbursement from the applicant.

(e) The department shall determine whether all of the applicable requirements of this section have been satisfied and shall enter an order granting or denying the certificate of authority. The department may deny the application if the department determines that the requirements of this chapter have not been met. The department may set conditions on the certificate of authority and shall include any conditions in the order granting the certificate of authority.

(f) If a protest of the application is not filed with the department on or before the 15th day after the last date that the notice is published under AS 06.26.100, the department may immediately determine whether the application meets the requirements of this section based on the application and investigation.