78C-16. Registration and notice filing requirement.

(a) It is unlawful for any person to transact business in this State as an investment adviser unless:

(1) The person is registered under this Chapter;

(2) The person's only clients in this State are investment companies as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, other investment advisers, investment advisers covered under federal law, dealers, banks, trust companies, savings institutions, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, employee benefit plans with assets of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000), and governmental agencies or instrumentalities, whether acting for themselves or as trustees with investment control, or other institutional investors as are designated by rule or order of the Administrator;

(3) The person has no place of business in this State, and during the preceding 12-month period has had not more than five clients, other than those specified in subdivision (2) of this subsection, who are residents of the State; or

(4) The person, during the course of the preceding 12 months, has had fewer than 15 clients, and neither holds himself or herself out generally to the public as an investment adviser nor acts as an investment adviser to any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or a company that has elected to be a business development company pursuant to section 54 of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(a1) It is unlawful for any person to transact business in this State as an investment adviser representative unless:

(1) The person is registered under this Chapter; or

(2) The person is an investment adviser representative employed by or associated with an investment adviser exempt from registration under subdivision (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (a) of this section; or

(3) The person is an investment adviser representative employed by or associated with an investment adviser covered under federal law that is exempt from the notice filing requirements of G.S. 78C-17(a1).

(b) It is unlawful for any person required to be registered as an investment adviser under this Chapter to employ an investment adviser representative unless the investment adviser representative is registered under this Chapter. The registration of an investment adviser representative is not effective during any period when the investment adviser representative is not employed by (i) an investment adviser registered under this Chapter; or (ii) an investment adviser covered under federal law who has made a notice filing pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 78C-17(a1). When an investment adviser representative begins or terminates employment or association with an investment adviser who is registered under this Chapter, the investment adviser shall notify promptly the Administrator. When an investment adviser representative begins or terminates employment or association with an investment adviser covered under federal law, the investment adviser representative shall, and the investment adviser may, notify promptly the Administrator.

(b1) No investment adviser representative may be registered with more than one investment adviser registered under this Chapter or investment adviser covered under federal law unless each of the investment advisers which employs or associates the investment adviser representative is under common ownership or control.

(b2) Notwithstanding subsection (b1) of this section, an investment adviser representative may be registered with more than one investment adviser registered under this Chapter or investment adviser covered under federal law for the purposes of soliciting, offering, or negotiating for the sale of, or for selling investment advisory services for or on behalf of, those investment advisers. If an investment adviser representative is registered with more than one investment adviser pursuant to this subsection, the representative shall be registered separately with each investment adviser for whom the representative solicits business and shall provide in writing to each person solicited any information disclosing the terms of any compensation arrangement that is related to the representative's solicitation or referral activities and that is required by the Administrator pursuant to rule or order. The Administrator may, by rule or order, specify supervisory procedures consistent with regulations adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to investment advisers who compensate persons for referrals of business.

(c) Every registration or notice filing expires December 31 of each year unless renewed.

(d) It is unlawful for any investment adviser covered under federal law to conduct advisory business in this State unless the investment adviser covered under federal law complies with the provisions of G.S. 78C-17(a1).