(a) Criminal history record information. After an applicant for a pawnshop license or pawnshop employee license submits a complete license application, including all required fingerprints, and pays the fees required by §85.211 of this title (relating to Fees) or §85.306 of this title (relating to Fees), the OCCC will investigate the applicant and any principal parties. The OCCC will obtain criminal history record information from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation based on the applicant's fingerprint submission. The OCCC will continue to receive information on new criminal activity reported after the fingerprints have been initially processed.
(b) Disclosure of criminal history. The applicant must disclose all criminal history information required to file a complete application with the OCCC. Failure to provide any information required as part of the application or requested by the OCCC reflects negatively on the belief that the business will be operated lawfully and fairly. The OCCC may request additional criminal history information from the applicant, including the following:
  (1) information about arrests, charges, indictments, and convictions of the applicant and any principal parties;
  (2) reliable documents or testimony necessary to make a determination under subsection (c) of this section, including letters of recommendation from prosecution, law enforcement, and correctional authorities;
  (3) proof that the applicant has maintained a record of steady employment, has supported the applicant's dependents, and has otherwise maintained a record of good conduct; and
  (4) proof that all outstanding court costs, supervision fees, fines, and restitution as may have been ordered have been paid or are current.
(c) Crimes directly related to licensed occupation. The OCCC may deny a license application, or suspend or revoke a pawnshop license or pawnshop employee license, if the applicant or licensee has been convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of a licensee under Texas Finance Code, Chapter 371, as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(a)(1).
  (1) Being a pawnbroker or pawnshop employee involves or may involve representations to borrowers and sellers, receiving money from borrowers, collecting due amounts in a legal manner, maintenance of accounts to make loans and replace lost or damaged goods, and compliance with reporting requirements to governmental agencies relating to certain transactions including firearms. Consequently, the following crimes are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of a licensee and may be grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation:
    (A) theft (including receiving or concealing stolen property);
    (B) assault;
    (C) any offense that involves misrepresentation, deceptive practices, or making a false or misleading statement (including fraud or forgery);
    (D) any offense that involves breach of trust or other fiduciary duty;
    (E) any criminal violation of a statute governing credit transactions or debt collection;
    (F) failure to file a government report, filing a false government report, or tampering with a government record;
    (G) any greater offense that includes an offense described in subparagraphs (A) - (F) of this paragraph as a lesser included offense;
    (H) any offense that involves intent, attempt, aiding, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit an offense described in subparagraphs (A) - (G) of this paragraph.
  (2) In determining whether a criminal offense directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of holding a license, the OCCC will consider the following factors, as specified in Texas Occupations Code, §53.022:
    (A) the nature and seriousness of the crime;
    (B) the relationship of the crime to the purposes for requiring a license to engage in the occupation;
    (C) the extent to which a license might offer an opportunity to engage in further criminal activity of the same type as that in which the person previously had been involved;
    (D) the relationship of the crime to the ability or capacity required to perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of a licensee; and
    (E) any correlation between the elements of the crime and the duties and responsibilities of the licensed occupation.
  (3) In determining whether a conviction for a crime renders an applicant or a licensee unfit to be a licensee, the OCCC will consider the following factors, as specified in Texas Occupations Code, §53.023:
    (A) the extent and nature of the person's past criminal activity;
    (B) the age of the person when the crime was committed;
    (C) the amount of time that has elapsed since the person's last criminal activity;
    (D) the conduct and work activity of the person before and after the criminal activity;
    (E) evidence of the person's rehabilitation or rehabilitative effort while incarcerated or after release, or following the criminal activity if no time was served;
    (F) evidence of the person's compliance with any conditions of community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision; and
    (G) evidence of the person's current circumstances relating to fitness to hold a license, which may include letters of recommendation.
(d) Crimes related to character and fitness.
  (1) The OCCC may deny a pawnshop license application if the applicant does not show that the business will be operated lawfully and fairly, or if the applicant does not show that the applicant or the applicant's owners have the financial responsibility, experience, character, and general fitness to command the confidence of the public, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.052(a).
  (2) The OCCC may deny a pawnshop employee license if the applicant is not of good business repute, or if the applicant does not possess the character and general fitness necessary to warrant the belief that the individual will operate the business lawfully and fairly, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.102(a).
  (3) In conducting its review of character and fitness, the OCCC will consider the criminal history of the applicant and any principal parties. If the applicant or a principal party has been convicted of an offense described by subsections (c)(1) or (f)(1) of this section, this reflects negatively on an applicant's character and fitness. The OCCC may deny a license application based on other criminal history of the applicant or its principal parties if, when the application is considered as a whole, the agency does not find that the financial responsibility, experience, character, and general fitness of the applicant are sufficient to command the confidence of the public and warrant the belief that the business will be operated lawfully and fairly. The OCCC will, however, consider the factors identified in subsection (c)(2) - (3) of this section in its review of character and fitness.
(e) Revocation on imprisonment. A license will be revoked on the licensee's imprisonment following a felony conviction, felony community supervision revocation, revocation of parole, or revocation of mandatory supervision, as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(b).
(f) Other grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation. The OCCC may deny a license application, or suspend or revoke a license, based on any other ground authorized by statute, including the following:
  (1) a conviction for an offense listed in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, art. 42A.054 or art. 62.001(6), as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(a)(2)-(3);
  (2) a conviction of a pawnshop licensee or a principal party for an offense directly related to the licensed occupation, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.251(a)(6);
  (3) errors or incomplete information in the license application;
  (4) a fact or condition that would have been grounds for denying the license application, and that either did not exist at the time of the application or the OCCC was unaware of at the time of application, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.251(a)(3) and §371.255(2);
  (5) a finding by the OCCC that the financial responsibility, experience, character, or general fitness of a pawnshop licensee or a principal party do not command the confidence of the public or warrant the belief that the business will be operated lawfully, fairly, and within the purposes of this chapter, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.251(a)(7); and
  (6) a finding by the OCCC that the character, business repute, and general fitness of a pawnshop employee license holder do not warrant belief that the license holder will operate the business lawfully and fairly, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §371.255(3).

Source Note: The provisions of this §85.601 adopted to be effective January 1, 2017, 41 TexReg 8815; amended to be effective February 1, 2019, 43 TexReg 8584; amended to be effective October 1, 2019, 44 TexReg 4719; amended to be effective October 1, 2022, 47 TexReg 5333