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<section article="gfi" article_name="Financial Institutions" number="11-206" title_number="11" title_name="Consumer Credit" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Consumer Loans -- Licensing Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>To apply for a license, an applicant shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Complete, sign, and submit to the Commissioner an application made under oath in the form, and in accordance with the process, that the Commissioner requires; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provide all the information that the Commissioner requests.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The application shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The applicant’s legal name and any trade name used by the applicant in accordance with § 2–121 of this article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The applicant’s principal executive office address;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>If the applicant is not an individual, the name and residence address of each control person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The address of each additional location, if any, that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The general public may reasonably view as a location that makes loans, including any location that investigates customer complaints or directly communicates with customers verbally, electronically, or in writing;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Houses any core operational infrastructure or technology systems;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Conducts any core management, information security and technology, risk and compliance, or finance functions; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Is otherwise required to be listed in NMLS by regulation the Commissioner adopts under this subtitle; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Any other pertinent information that the Commissioner requires for an investigation and findings under § 11–207 of this subtitle.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>With the application, the applicant shall pay to the Commissioner:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>An investigation fee of $100; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A license fee of $850.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>With the application, the applicant shall file a surety bond.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The bond shall run to the Commissioner, as obligee, for the benefit of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any person who has a cause of action against the applicant under the Maryland Consumer Loan Law.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The bond shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>In an amount determined by the Commissioner under subsection (d) of this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Issued by a surety company that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Is authorized to do business in the State; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Holds a certificate of authority issued by the Maryland Insurance Commissioner; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Conditioned that the licensee shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Comply with the Maryland Consumer Loan Law; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Pay to the State or to any person any money that the licensee may owe to the State or to the person under the Maryland Consumer Loan Law.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The liability of the surety:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall be continuous;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>May not be aggregated or cumulative, whether or not the bond is renewed, continued, replaced, or modified;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>May not be determined by adding together the penal sum of the bond, or any part of the penal sum of the bond, in existence at any two or more points in time;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Shall be considered to be one continuous obligation, regardless of increases or decreases in the penal sum of the bond;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>May not be affected by:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The insolvency or bankruptcy of the licensee;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Any misrepresentation, breach of warranty, failure to pay a premium, or any other act or omission of the licensee or an agent of the licensee; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The suspension of the licensee’s license;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>May not require an administrative enforcement action by the Commissioner as a prerequisite to liability; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>Shall continue for 3 years after the later of the date on which:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The bond is canceled; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The licensee, for any reason, ceases to be licensed.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A bond may be canceled by the surety or the licensee by giving notice of cancellation to the Commissioner.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Notice under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Be in writing; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A cancellation of a bond under this paragraph is not effective until 90 days after receipt of a notice of cancellation by the Commissioner.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>A claim against the bond may be filed with the surety by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A claimant; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Commissioner for the benefit of a claimant or the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>If the amount of claims against a bond exceeds the amount of the bond, the surety:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall pay the amount of the bond to the Commissioner for pro rata distribution to claimants; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Is relieved of liability under the bond.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>If the penal amount of a bond is reduced by payment of a claim or judgment, the licensee shall file a new or additional bond with the Commissioner.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>A penalty imposed against a licensee under § 2–115(b) of this article may be collected and paid from the proceeds of a bond required under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The amount of the surety bond under subsection (c) of this section shall be in an amount of not less than $50,000 and not more than $200,000, as determined by the Commissioner for each licensee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>In setting the amount of the surety bond, the Commissioner may consider:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The nature and volume of the business or proposed business of the licensee or applicant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The financial condition of the licensee or applicant, including:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The amount, nature, quality, and liquidity of the assets of the licensee or applicant;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The amount and nature of the liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of the licensee or applicant;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The history of and prospects for the licensee or applicant to earn and retain income; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>The potential harm to consumers if the applicant or licensee becomes financially impaired;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The quality of the operations of the licensee or applicant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The quality of the management of the licensee or applicant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>The nature and quality of the person that has control of the licensee or applicant; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>Any other factor that the Commissioner considers relevant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
