(a) Upon the filing of an application for an initial license, and the payment of required fees, the commissioner shall investigate the financial condition and responsibility, financial and business experience, character and general fitness of the applicant, and the applicant's control persons and qualified individual. The commissioner may issue a license if the commissioner finds that:

(1) The applicant's financial condition is sound;

(2) The applicant's business will be conducted honestly, fairly, equitably, carefully and efficiently within the purposes and intent of sections 36a-595 to 36a-612, inclusive, and in a manner commanding the confidence and trust of the community;

(3) The applicant's control persons and qualified individual demonstrate financial responsibility and are in all respects properly qualified and of good character;

(4) The applicant is in compliance with the provisions of sections 36a-602 to 36a-604, inclusive;

(5) No person on behalf of the applicant knowingly has made any incorrect statement of a material fact in the application, or in any report or statement made pursuant to sections 36a-595 to 36a-612, inclusive;

(6) No person on behalf of the applicant knowingly has omitted to state any material fact necessary to give the commissioner any information lawfully required by the commissioner; and

(7) The applicant has paid the investigation fee and license fee required under section 36a-599.

(b) The commissioner may deny an application if the commissioner finds that the applicant or the applicant's control persons or qualified individual (1) is listed on the specially designated nationals and blocked persons list prepared by the United States Department of the Treasury, or (2) has been convicted of any misdemeanor involving any aspect of the money transmission business or any felony. Any denial of an application by the commissioner shall, when applicable, be subject to the provisions of section 46a-80.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner may deny any application of a person who will or may engage in the business of transmitting monetary value in the form of virtual currency if, in the commissioner's discretion, the issuance of such a license would represent undue risk of financial loss to consumers, considering the applicant's proposed business model.

(d) The commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion, place additional requirements, restrictions or conditions upon the license of any applicant who will or may engage in the business of transmitting monetary value in the form of virtual currency, including the amount of surety bond required by section 36a-602.

(P.A. 81-264, S. 7; P.A. 94-122, S. 278, 340; P.A. 01-56, S. 7; P.A. 04-14, S. 5; P.A. 08-119, S. 13; P.A. 09-208, S. 16; P.A. 11-216, S. 36; P.A. 13-253, S. 6; P.A. 15-53, S. 7; P.A. 18-173, S. 53.)

History: P.A. 94-122 made technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 36-536 transferred to Sec. 36a-600 in 1995; P.A. 01-56 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (3) re good character of various persons as applicants and by renumbering existing Subdivs. (3) to (5) as Subdivs. (4) to (6); P.A. 04-14 amended Subsec. (b) to require that applicant pay investigation and license fee required under Sec. 36a-599; P.A. 08-119 added Subsec. (a)(3)(D) re applicant that is a limited liability company; P.A. 09-208 added Subsec. (c) authorizing commissioner to deny application based on certain convictions; P.A. 11-216 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision re ten-year period re misdemeanor and felony convictions and delete “Connecticut” re payment instruments; P.A. 13-253 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “original” to “initial”, deleting provision re conditional approval and adding provision authorizing commissioner to issue a license, adding reference to Secs. 36a-611 and 36a-612 in Subdiv. (2), deleting reference to Sec. 36a-603 and adding reference to Sec. 36a-602 in Subdiv. (4), adding reference to Sec. 36a-611 and 36a-612 in Subdiv. (5) and adding Subdiv. (7) re payment of fees, deleted former Subsec. (b) re conditional approval, and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding Subdiv. (1) re applicants or members listed on the specially designated nationals and blocked persons list, designating existing provision re conviction as Subdiv. (2) and making a technical change; P.A. 15-53 added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re commissioner may deny, or place additional requirements on, money transmission license for persons engaging in business involving virtual currency; P.A. 18-173 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “payment of the fees for investigation and license” with “payment of required fees”, adding “and the applicant's control persons and qualified individual”, deleting Subparas. (A) to (D) and adding provision re applicant's control persons and qualified individual demonstrate financial responsibility and are in all respects properly qualified and of good character in Subdiv. (3), amended Subsec. (b) by deleting references to partners, directors, trustees, principal officers or shareholders with references to applicant's control persons or qualified individual, and made technical and conforming changes.