An application for issuance of a new credit access business license must be submitted in a format prescribed by the commissioner at the date of filing and in accordance with the commissioner's instructions. The commissioner may accept the use of prescribed alternative formats to facilitate multistate uniformity of applications or in order to accept approved electronic submissions. Appropriate fees must be filed with the application and the application must include the following:
  (1) Required application information. All questions must be answered.
    (A) Application for license.
      (i) Location information. A physical street address must be listed for the applicant's proposed address, or if the applicant will have no such location, a statement to that effect must be provided. For applicants with a proposed location in Texas, a post office box or a mail box location at a private mail-receiving service generally may not be used. If the address has not yet been determined or if the application is for an inactive license, then the application must so indicate.
      (ii) Compliance officer. The application must list a compliance officer. The compliance officer must be an individual responsible for overseeing compliance, and must be authorized to receive and respond to communications from the OCCC.
      (iii) Registered agent. The registered agent must be provided by each applicant. The registered agent is the person or entity to whom any legal notice may be delivered. The agent must be a Texas resident and list an address for legal service. If the registered agent is a natural person, the address must be a different address than the licensed location address. If the applicant is a corporation or a limited liability company, the registered agent should be the one on file with the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. If the registered agent is not the same as the agent filed with the Office of the Texas Secretary of State, then the applicant must submit a certification from the secretary of the company identifying the registered agent.
      (iv) Owners and principal parties.
        (I) Proprietorships. The applicant must disclose the name of any individual holding an ownership interest in the business and the name of any individual responsible for operating the business. If requested, the applicant must also disclose the names of the spouses of these individuals.
        (II) General partnerships. Each partner must be listed and the percentage of ownership stated. If a general partner is wholly or partially owned by a legal entity and not a natural person, a narrative or diagram must be included that lists the names and titles of all meeting the definition of "managerial official," as contained in Texas Business Organizations Code, §1.002, and a description of the ownership of each legal entity must be provided. General partnerships that register as limited liability partnerships should provide the same information as that required for general partnerships.
        (III) Limited partnerships. Each partner, general and limited, fulfilling the requirements of items (-a-) - (-c-) of this subclause must be listed and the percentage of ownership stated.
          (-a-) General partners. The applicant should provide the complete ownership, regardless of percentage owned, for all general partners. If a general partner is wholly or partially owned by a legal entity and not a natural person, a narrative or diagram must be included that lists the names and titles of all meeting the definition of "managerial official," as contained in Texas Business Organizations Code, §1.002, and a description of the ownership of each legal entity must be provided.
          (-b-) Limited partners. The applicant should provide a complete list of all limited partners owning 10% or more of the partnership.
          (-c-) Limited partnerships that register as limited liability partnerships. The applicant should provide the same information as that required for limited partnerships.
        (IV) Corporations. Each officer and director must be named. Each shareholder holding 10% or more of the voting stock must be named if the corporation is privately held. If a parent corporation is the sole or part owner of the proposed business, a narrative or diagram must be included that describes each level of ownership of 10% or greater.
        (V) Limited liability companies. Each "manager," "officer," and "member" owning 10% or more of the company, as those terms are defined in Texas Business Organizations Code, §1.002, and each agent owning 10% or more of the company must be listed. If a member is a legal entity and not a natural person, a narrative or diagram must be included that describes each level of ownership of 10% or greater.
        (VI) Trusts or estates. Each trustee or executor, as appropriate, must be listed.
    (B) Disclosure questions. All applicable questions must be answered. Questions requiring a "yes" answer must be accompanied by an explanatory statement and any appropriate documentation requested.
    (C) Personal information.
      (i) Personal affidavit. Each individual meeting the definition of "principal party" as defined in §83.3001 of this title (relating to Definitions) or who is a person responsible for day-to-day operations must provide a personal affidavit. All requested information must be provided.
      (ii) Personal questionnaire. Each individual meeting the definition of "principal party" as defined in §83.3001 of this title or who is a person responsible for day-to-day operations must provide a personal questionnaire. Each question must be answered. If any question, except question 1, is answered "yes," an explanation must be provided.
      (iii) Employment history. Each individual meeting the definition of "principal party" as defined in §83.3001 of this title or who is a person responsible for day-to-day operations must provide an employment history. Each principal party should provide a continuous 10-year history, accounting for time spent as a student, unemployed, or retired. The employment history must also include the individual's association with the entity applying for the license.
    (D) Additional requirements.
      (i) Statement of experience. Each applicant should provide a statement setting forth the details of the applicant's prior experience in the credit access business. If the applicant or its principal parties do not have significant experience in the same type of credit access business as planned for the prospective licensee, the applicant must provide a written statement explaining the applicant's relevant business experience or education, why the commissioner should find that the applicant has the requisite experience, and how the applicant plans to obtain the necessary knowledge to operate lawfully and fairly.
      (ii) Business operating plan. Each applicant must provide a brief narrative to the application explaining the type of operation that is planned. This narrative should discuss each of the following topics:
        (I) the source of customers;
        (II) the purpose(s) of the extensions of consumer credit;
        (III) the size of the extensions of consumer credit;
        (IV) the source of working capital for planned operations;
        (V) the types of consumer credit products to be extended to consumers, as advertised by the business; and
        (VI) the contractual loan term, in days, of each consumer credit product to be offered to consumers.
      (iii) Statement of records. Each applicant must provide a statement of where records of Texas transactions will be maintained. If these records will be maintained at a location outside of Texas, the applicant must acknowledge responsibility for the travel cost associated with examinations in addition to the assessment fees or agree to make all records available for examination in Texas.
    (E) Consent form. Each applicant must submit a consent form signed by an authorized individual. Electronic signatures will be accepted in a manner approved by the commissioner. The following are authorized individuals:
      (i) If the applicant is a proprietor, the owner must sign.
      (ii) If the applicant is a partnership, one general partner must sign.
      (iii) If the applicant is a corporation, an authorized officer must sign.
      (iv) If the applicant is a limited liability company, an authorized member or manager must sign.
      (v) If the applicant is a trust or estate, the trustee or executor, as appropriate, must sign.
  (2) Other required filings.
    (A) Fingerprints.
      (i) For all persons meeting the definition of "principal party" as defined in §83.3001 of this title, a complete set of legible fingerprints must be provided. All fingerprints should be submitted in a format prescribed by the OCCC and approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Cont'd...