A. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to receive money upon deposit or transact a banking business except as authorized by the laws of this state or of the United States, or to use or advertise, in connection with any business other than the banking business, conducted under the banking laws of this state or the savings and loan business conducted under the savings and loan laws of this state, the words: Banc, Bank, Banker, Bankers, Banque, Investment Banker, or any derivative thereof, however spelled, or any other word or term which in the discretion of the Commissioner is determined to deceive the public into belief that such person, firm, association or corporation is engaged in the banking business or savings and loan business. Any person, firm, association or corporation violating any of the provisions of this section, either individually or as an interested party, in any firm, association or corporation, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not less than Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00), nor more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) per violation, or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than thirty (30) days or more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and it is hereby made the duty of the Attorney General to enforce the provisions of this section.

B. Unlawful use of trust or trust company. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation except state banks having trust powers, national banking associations located in this state and having trust powers and trust companies incorporated under the laws of this state and having trust powers to use or advertise the word "Trust" or "Trust Company" or any derivative thereof, however spelled, in the conduct of their business in a manner which in the discretion of the Commissioner is determined to deceive the public into belief that such person, firm, association or corporation has been authorized to transact business as a regulated financial institution and no firm, association or corporation hereafter organized under any other act shall use the word "Trust" or "Trust Company" as a part of its name. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the continued use of such words by any banking corporation which is using such words as of the effective date of this act. Any person, firm, association or corporation violating any of the provisions of this section, either individually or as an interested party, in any firm, association or corporation, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Commissioner.

C. Injunction - Appointment of receiver. In order to further prevent the violation of this section, any court of competent jurisdiction in this state is hereby authorized and empowered to grant an injunction and, if requested by the Commissioner, to appoint a receiver to take charge of the business and assets of any person, firm, association or corporation reasonably believed by the Commissioner to be violating the provisions of this section, and to make all necessary and proper orders to wind up such business and prevent a violation of Section 1401 of this title.

D. Secretary of State - Filing requirements. The Secretary of State is prohibited from accepting any document for filing which includes the words Banc, Bank, Banker, Bankers, Banque, Investment Banker, Trust, Trust Company, or any derivative thereof, however spelled, unless the Commissioner has given written consent thereto.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 161, § 1401. Amended by Laws 1982, c. 223, § 13; Laws 1990, c. 173, § 15, emerg. eff. May 3, 1990; Laws 1997, c. 111, § 106, eff. July 1, 1997.