(A) Each person desiring to obtain or renew a handler's license shall file an application annually with the director of agriculture at such times, on such forms, and containing such information as the director prescribes, including, if applicable, the appointment of a statutory agent under section 926.051 of the Revised Code.

(B) Each application for a license or license renewal shall be accompanied by an application fee of two hundred dollars for the first facility operated by the applicant plus one hundred dollars for each additional facility operated by the same applicant and by an examination fee, established by rule of the director pursuant to section 926.02 of the Revised Code, for each facility operated by the applicant. "Facility" means all warehouse storage located on one premises, including any additional warehouse storage located within one thousand yards of that premises. The director may charge fees for examinations in an amount not to exceed those fees charged by the United States department of agriculture for comparable examinations.

The director shall deposit all fees collected under this section in the commodity handler regulatory program fund created in section 926.19 of the Revised Code.

(C) The director shall approve or reject each application for a license within fifteen days after receipt thereof, provided that such application is in proper form and contains the information required under division (A) of this section. A rejection of an application shall be accompanied by a statement from the director of the additional requirements necessary for a license. The applicant may resubmit the application without payment of any additional fee.

(D) A handler's license shall expire on the date prescribed by rule of the director. Whenever the director considers it advisable to cancel the unexpired portion of an outstanding license in order to renew it according to a new or existing system of expiration dates, the director shall refund to the handler the unexpired portion of the fees paid under division (B) of this section. Whenever the director issues an initial license on a date that does not conform to the existing system, the director shall issue the license for a period of time, not less than six nor more than eighteen months, that makes the date conform to the existing system. The application fee for that initial license shall be proportionate to the fee for a one-year license.

(E) An application for renewal of a handler's license shall be filed with the director not later than thirty days before the current license expires. An applicant who fails to file a renewal application in time shall pay a late fee of one dollar for each day the application is late or fifteen dollars, whichever is greater. A renewal license shall not be issued until a late fee that is due has been paid.

(F) The director, with the approval of the commodity advisory commission, may revoke or refuse to issue or renew a handler's license if any of the following occurred within five years before the application for the license or renewal was filed:

(1) The applicant, or the spouse, parent, sibling, or child of the applicant, or a manager employed by the applicant, or any other individual materially involved in the agricultural commodity handling business of the applicant was a principal in a receivership or insolvency that resulted in losses to creditors or to the agricultural commodity depositors fund established in section 926.16 of the Revised Code;

(2) The applicant pled guilty to or was convicted of any felony or charge of embezzlement under the laws of this state, any other state, or of the United States;

(3) The applicant made a delivery of commodities not authorized under this chapter;

(4) The applicant's license under the "United States Warehouse Act," 39 Stat. 486 (1916), 7 U.S.C. 241, as amended, was revoked or canceled due to a violation of that act.

Effective Date: 07-29-1998