(1) The commissioner shall examine at least every eighteen months the loans, business and records of every licensee. In addition, for the purpose of discovering violations of this article or securing information lawfully required, the Attorney General or the commissioner may at any time investigate the loans, business and records of any regulated consumer lender. For these purposes he shall have free and reasonable access to the offices, places of business and records of the lender.

(2) If the lender's records are located outside this state, the lender at his option shall make them available to the commissioner at a convenient location within this state, or pay the reasonable and necessary expenses for the commissioner or his representatives to examine them at the place where they are maintained. The commissioner may designate representatives, including comparable officials of the state in which the records are located, to inspect them on his behalf.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the commissioner may administer oaths or affirmations, and upon his own motion or upon request of any party, may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, adduce evidence and require the production of any matter which is relevant to the investigation, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition and location of any books, documents or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of relevant facts, or any other matter reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.

(4) Upon failure without lawful excuse to obey a subpoena or to give testimony and upon reasonable notice to all persons affected thereby, the commissioner may apply to any circuit court of this state for an order compelling compliance.

(5) The commissioner of banking shall charge and collect from each regulated consumer lender and pay into a special revenue account in the State Treasury for the department of banking an annual assessment payable on July 1, computed upon the total outstanding gross loan balances and installment sales contract balances net of unearned interest as is set out in section eight, article two, chapter thirty-one-a of this code.