(a) The proceedings for a denial of a license shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(b) After notice and an opportunity for a hearing the commissioner may deny an application for a license for any of the following reasons:
(1) A false statement of a material fact has been made in the application.
(2) The applicant or any principal officer, director, general partner, managing member, or individual owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interests or equity securities of the applicant, within the last 10 years has (A) been convicted of, or pleaded nolo contendere to, a crime, other than traffic violations, or (B) committed any act involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit, if the crime or act is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business in accordance with this division.
(3) The applicant or any principal officer, director, general partner, managing member, or individual owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interests or equity securities of the applicant, has violated, or is not in material compliance with this division, or an order or rule of the commissioner.
(4) A material requirement for issuance of a license has not been met, provided that a written notice of a material omission shall first be sent to the applicant with an opportunity to correct the omission prior to the applicant’s denial.
(5) The applicant or any principal officer, director, general partner, managing member, or individual owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interests or equity securities of the applicant, has violated this division or the rules thereunder, or any similar regulatory scheme of this or a foreign jurisdiction.
(6) The applicant or any principal officer, director, general partner, managing member, or individual owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interests or equity securities of the applicant, has been held liable by final judgment in a civil action under Title 1.6C (commencing with Section 1788) or Title 1.6C.5 (commencing with Section 1788.50) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, within the past seven years.
(7) The commissioner, based on its investigation of the applicant, is unable to find that the financial responsibility, criminal records, experience, character, and general fitness of the applicant and its general partners, managing members, principal officers and directors, and individuals owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the outstanding interests or equity securities of the applicant, support a finding that the business will be operated honestly, fairly, efficiently, and in accordance with the requirements of this division.
(8) The commissioner may adopt regulations specifying the factors that the commissioner will consider in denying a license, including, but not limited to, the harm to the consumer, the frequency of prior violations, and the number of prior disciplinary actions taken against the licensee in California or in other states.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 163, Sec. 3. (SB 908) Effective January 1, 2021. Operative January 1, 2022, pursuant to Sec. 100000.5.)