(1) A person may not engage in business as a credit availability licensee or otherwise portray himself as a credit availability licensee unless the person has a valid license authorizing him to engage in the business. Any transaction that would be subject to this article that is made by a person who does not have a valid license under this article shall be null and void.

(2) A credit availability licensee shall (a) have a definitive United States postal address and E911 address; and (b) comply with applicable local zoning requirements, except as otherwise provided in this article; and (c) maintain separate books and records for credit availability transactions.

(3)

(a) The commissioner may issue more than one (1) license to a person if that person complies with this article for each license. A new license is required upon a change, directly or beneficially, in the ownership of any licensed credit availability business and an application shall be made to the commissioner in accordance with this article.

(b) When a licensee wishes to move a credit availability business to another physical location, the licensee shall give thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to the commissioner who shall amend the license accordingly.

(c) Each license shall remain in full force and effect until relinquished, suspended, revoked or expired. With each initial application for a license, the applicant shall pay the commissioner at the time of making the application a license fee of Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), and on or before September 1 of each year thereafter, an annual renewal fee of Four Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($475.00). If the annual renewal fee remains unpaid twenty-nine (29) days after September 1, the license shall thereupon expire, but not before the thirtieth day of September of any year for which the annual fee has been paid. If any licensee fails to pay the annual renewal fee before the thirtieth day of September of any year for which the renewal fee is due, then the licensee shall be liable for the full amount of the license fee, plus a penalty in an amount not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) for each day that the licensee has engaged in business after September 30. All licensing fees and penalties shall be paid into the Consumer Finance Fund of the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, the commissioner may issue a temporary license authorizing the operation of a credit availability business on the receipt of an application for a license involving principals and owners that are substantially identical to those of an existing licensed credit availability licensee. The temporary license is effective until the permanent license is issued or denied.

(5) Notwithstanding other provisions of this article, neither a new license nor an application to transfer an existing license shall be required upon any change, directly or beneficially, in the ownership of any licensed business incorporated under the laws of this state or any other state so long as the licensee continues to operate as a corporation doing a credit availability business under the license.

(6) Persons licensed under Sections 75-67-401 et seq. and 75-67-501 et seq. on July 1, 2016, shall have until September 30, 2016, to apply for an expedited license approval under this article. The commissioner, in his discretion, may waive certain documentation already on file under those licenses, including fingerprints, and may promulgate an application that expedites the licensing process. Upon the approval of the application, the commissioner shall grant a license under this article.