As used in Chapter 517, F.S., and the rules promulgated thereunder, unless the context otherwise specifically requires:

1. (1) “Accredited Investor” is defined pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (17 C.F.R. §230.501(a)), which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69W-200.002, F.A.C.
2. (2) “Advertising” means any circular, prospectus, advertisement or other material or any communication by radio, television, internet, pictures or similar means used in connection with a sale or purchase or an offer to sell or purchase any security.
3. (3) “Aggregate Indebtedness” is defined pursuant to S.E.C. Rule 15c3-1 (17 C.F.R. §240.15c3-1), which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69W-200.002, F.A.C.
4. (4) “Applicant” means a person executing or submitting an application for registration under Chapter 517, F.S.
5. (5) (a) “Associated person” as defined in 517.021(4), F.S., shall include any person who for compensation refers for the purchase or sale of securities and/or of investment advisory services. A person whose activities fall within this definition is required to register with the Office of Financial Regulation as an associated person pursuant to Section 517.12(1) or (3), F.S.
6. (b) A natural person receiving compensation from a federal covered adviser or an investment adviser acting in compliance with S.E.C. Rule 206(4)-1 (17 C.F.R. §275.206(4)-1), which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69W-200.002, F.A.C., shall not be deemed an associated person of such investment adviser or federal covered adviser.
7. (6) “Bona Fide Employee” includes an employee, a partner, officer, director, manager, managing member, or trustee representing the issuer in the purchase, sale, or distribution of the issuer’s own securities if such employee, partner, officer, director, manager, managing member, or trustee has not participated in the distribution or sale of any securities within the preceding twelve (12) months and primarily performs, or is intended to perform at the end of the distribution, substantial duties for, or on behalf of the issuer, other than in connection with transactions in securities.

8. (7) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the term “Branch Office” means any location in this state of a dealer or investment adviser at which one or more associated persons regularly conduct the business of rendering investment advice or effecting any transactions in, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of, any security or any location that is held out as such. Pursuant to Section 517.021(7), F.S., the Financial Services Commission may adopt exceptions to this definition. The following locations shall not be deemed branch offices for purposes of Section 517.12(4), F.S., and are considered exceptions to the definition of a branch office under Section 517.021(7), F.S.:

   1. Any location that is established solely for customer service or back office type functions where no sales activities are conducted and that is not held out to the public as a branch office;

   2. Any location that is the associated person’s primary residence; provided that:

   a. Only one associated person, or multiple associated persons, who reside at that location and are members of the same immediate family, conduct business at the location;

   b. The location is not held out to the public as an office and the associated person does not meet with customers at the location;

   c. Neither customer funds nor securities are handled at that location;

   d. The associated person is assigned to a designated branch office, and such designated branch office is reflected on all business cards, stationery, advertisements and other communications to the public by such associated person;

   e. The associated person’s correspondence and communications with the public are subject to the firm’s supervision in accordance with FINRA Rule 3110, as incorporated in Rule 69W-200.002, F.A.C.;

   f. Electronic communications (e.g., e-mail) are made through the registrant’s electronic system;

   g. All orders are entered through the designated branch office or an electronic system established by the registrant that is reviewable at the branch office;

   h. Written supervisory procedures pertaining to supervision of sales activities conducted at the residence are maintained by the registrant; and,

   i. A list of the residence locations is maintained by the registrant;

   3. Any location, other than a primary residence, that is used for securities business for less than 30 business days in any one calendar year, provided the registrant complies with the provisions of this rule in sub-subparagraphs (7)(a)2.a. through i., above;

   4. Any office of convenience, where associated persons occasionally and exclusively by appointment meet with customers, which is not held out to the public as an office;

   5. Any location that is used primarily to engage in non-securities activities and from which the associated person(s) effects no more than 25 securities transactions in any one calendar year; provided that any advertisement or sales literature identifying such location also sets forth the address and telephone number of the location from which the associated person(s) conducting business at the non-branch locations are directly supervised;

   6. The floor of a registered national securities exchange where a registrant conducts a direct access business with public customers; or

   7. A temporary location established in response to the implementation of a business continuity plan.

   8. The principal office and place of business of an investment adviser registered with the Office of Financial Regulation pursuant to Section 517.12(3), F.S.

   9. Any location of an investment adviser that is notice-filed as a branch office of a dealer, provided the dealer and investment adviser use the same CRD number.

9. (b) Notwithstanding the exclusions provided in subparagraph (7)(a)2., above, any location of a dealer that is responsible for supervising the activities of persons associated with the registrant at one or more non-branch locations of the registrant is considered to be a branch office.
10. (c) The term “business day” as used in subparagraph (7)(a)3., above, shall not include any partial business day provided that the associated person spends at least four hours on such business day at his or her designated branch office during the hours that such office is normally open for business.

11. (8) “Developmental-Stage Company” means a company which devotes substantially all of their efforts to establishing a new business and for which either of the following conditions exist:

    1. (a) Planned principal operations have not commenced.
    2. (b) Planned principal operations have commenced, but there has been no significant revenue therefrom.

12. (9) “Dilution” for purposes of Rules 69W-700.008 and 69W-700.015, F.A.C., shall be determined by subtracting the maximum sales commissions and expenses set forth in the prospectus from the gross proceeds of the offering and adding the net worth prior to the offering. Divide this sum by the total number of shares to be outstanding at the conclusion of the offering to determine book value. Subtract the book value from the proposed offering price and divide the result by the proposed offering price to arrive at the percentage of dilution. For the purpose of calculating “dilution” or “book value,” intangible assets such as patents, copyrights, franchises, trademarks, operating rights and goodwill are deducted from total assets.

    Dilution Formula:

Example:

NP + NW

________ = BV

TS

OP – BV

_________ = Dilution

OP

1. (10) “Independent Director” shall be defined as a member of the issuer’s board of directors who:

   1. (a) Is not an officer or employee of the issuer, its subsidiaries, or their affiliates or associates and has not been an officer or employee of the Issuer, its subsidiaries or their affiliates or associates within the last two years; and,
   2. (b) Is not a promoter as defined in Section 517.021(30)(b), F.S.; and,

   3. (c) Does not have a material business or professional relationship with the issuer or any of its affiliates or associates. For purposes of determining whether or not a business or professional relationship is material, the gross revenue derived by the independent director from the issuer, its affiliates and associates shall be deemed material if it exceeds 5% of the independent director’s;

      1. Annual gross revenue, derived from all sources, during either of the last two years; or

      2. Net worth, on a fair market value basis.

2. (11) “Issuer” for purposes of Rules 69W-400.001, 69W-500.005, 69W-500.006 and 69W-500.008, F.A.C., shall not include a promoter of the issuer.
3. (12) “Principal Office” or “Home Office” means the place where the chief or principal affairs and business of the applicant or registrant are transacted.
4. (13) “Promoter” shall not include a person with respect to an issuer which is duly qualified to transact business under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is organized and which has actively been engaged in business for a continuous period of one year.
5. (14) “Qualified Institutional Buyer” for purposes of Section 517.061(7), F.S., shall be defined as provided in Securities and Exchange Commission rule 144A(a) (17 C.F.R. §230.144A(a)), which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69W-200.002, F.A.C.
6. (15) “Registrant” means an applicant for whom a registration has been declared effective by the Office of Financial Regulation.

7. (16) “Reportable Act” means:

   1. (a) Having exercised management or policy control over or owned 10 percent or more of the securities of any dealer or investment adviser for which a Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) trustee was appointed pursuant to the Securities Investor Protection Act or which is insolvent;
   2. (b) Conviction of or entry of a plea of guilty or no contest to any criminal act, excluding traffic violations or other minor offenses;
   3. (c) Having been the subject of any decision, finding, injunction, suspension, prohibition, revocation, denial, judgment, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction, administrative law judge, or by any state or federal agency, national securities, commodities, or option exchange, or national securities, commodities, or option association, involving a violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, or any rule or regulation of any national securities, commodities or options exchange or national securities, commodities, or options association, or having been the subject of any injunction or adverse order by a state or federal agency or court of competent jurisdiction regulating banking, insurance, finance or small loan companies, real estate, mortgage brokers, or other related or similar industries;

   4. (d) Being charged, in a pending enforcement action or pending criminal prosecution, with any conduct that if proven and not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated, would be deemed a reportable act under paragraphs (a) through (c) of this rule.

      1. For purposes of this rule, “enforcement action” means any judicial proceeding or any administrative proceeding where such judicial or administrative proceeding is brought by an agency of the United States or of any state to enforce or restrain violation of any state or federal law, or any disciplinary proceeding maintained by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers), the National Futures Association, the New York Stock Exchange, or any other similar self-regulatory organization.

      2. An enforcement action is pending at any time after notice to the respondent of such action and is terminated at any time after entry of final judgment or decree in the case of judicial proceedings, final agency action in the case of administrative proceedings, and final disposition by a self-regulatory organization in the case of disciplinary proceedings.

      3. A criminal prosecution is pending at any time after criminal charges are filed and is terminated at any time after conviction, acquittal, or dismissal.

8. (17) “Securities Act of 1933,” 15 U.S.C. §§77a through 77mm, “Securities Exchange Act of 1934,” 15 U.S.C. §§78a through 78oo, “Investment Company Act of 1940,” 15 U.S.C. §§80a-1 through 80a-64, “Investment Advisers Act of 1940,” 15 U.S.C. §§80b-1 through 80b-21, and “Internal Revenue Code,” 26 U.S.C. Subtitles A through K, mean the federal statutes of those names.

Rulemaking Authority 517.03(1) FS. Law Implemented 517.07, 517.021, 517.051, 517.061, 517.081, 517.12, 517.161 FS. History–New 12-5-79, Amended 9-20-82, Formerly 3E-200.01, Amended 12-8-87, 10-14-90, 7-31-91, 6-16-92, 1-10-93, 5-5-94, 10-20-97, 8-9-98, 8-19-99, 10-30-03, Formerly 3E-200.001, Amended 5-15-07, 9-30-10, 11-11-13, 9-22-14, 11-15-16, 1-18-21, 2-14-23, 3-21-24, 10-1-24, 9-16-25.