89D-17. Corporations; partnerships; persons doing business under trade name.

(a) The Board may issue a license in the name of a corporation if the corporation complies with the following:

(1) One or more officers or full-time employees, or both, empowered to act for the corporation are individuals licensed under this Chapter.

(2) Only the officers or employees described in subdivision (1) of this subsection execute contracts for landscape construction or contracting in the name of a corporation and are readily available to exercise supervision over the work performed pursuant to the contract.

(b) The Board may issue a license in the name of a limited liability company if the company complies with the following:

(1) One or more managers, as defined in G.S. 57D-1-03, executives, or full-time employees, or a combination thereof, are individuals licensed under this Chapter.

(2) Only the managers, executives, or employees described in subdivision (1) of this subsection execute contracts for landscape construction or contracting in the name of the limited liability company and are readily available to exercise supervision over the work performed pursuant to the contract.

(c) The Board may issue a license in the name of a partnership if the partnership complies with the following:

(1) One or more general partners or full-time employees empowered to act for the partnership are individuals licensed under this Chapter.

(2) Only the partners or employees described in subdivision (1) of this subsection execute contracts for landscape construction or contracting in the name of the partnership and are readily available to exercise supervision over the work performed pursuant to the contract.

(d) The Board may issue a license in an assumed or designated trade name if the owner of the business complies with the following:

(1) The owner or one or more full-time employees empowered to act for the owner is an individual licensed under this Chapter.

(2) Only the persons described in subdivision (1) of this subsection execute contracts for landscape construction or contracting in the assumed or designated trade name of the business and are readily available to exercise supervision over the work performed pursuant to the contract.

(e) When the Board issues a license under this section, the Board shall indicate on the license the name and license number of the individual licensee connected to the corporation, partnership, or business conducted under an assumed or designated trade name.

(f) A person licensed pursuant to this section shall be readily available to exercise supervision over a contract for landscape construction or contracting until the contract is completed.

(g) When a licensee executes a contract for landscape construction or contracting in any capacity other than as a sole proprietor contracting on the licensee's own behalf, the person on whose behalf the licensee is executing the contract shall be licensed under this section.

(h) A corporation, partnership, or person doing business under an assumed or designated trade name shall notify the Board in accordance with rules adopted by the Board if an individual licensee who is indicated in the license issued under this section ceases to be an officer, partner, owner, or employee of the corporation, partnership, or person doing business under the assumed or designated trade name. If the corporation, partnership, or person no longer has an officer, general partner, owner, or employee described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivision (1) of subsection (b), or subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, the corporation, partnership, or person shall have 120 days from the date the officer, general partner, owner, or employee ceases the relationship with the corporation, partnership, or person to satisfy the requirements described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivision (1) of subsection (b), or subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section. The Board may, in its discretion, grant the corporation, partnership, or person a period greater than 120 days to satisfy the requirements described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivision (1) of subsection (b), or subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section as it deems appropriate. After 120 days, or a time period greater than 120 days as approved by the Board, if the corporation, partnership, or person does not have an officer, general partner, owner, or employee as described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a), subdivision (1) of subsection (b), or subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, the license issued under this section is automatically suspended and the corporation, partnership, or person shall cease practicing landscape construction or contracting.