1. (a) Every person doing business as a debt management company shall make application to the department for a license to engage in such business. Such application shall be in the form prescribed by the director and shall contain such information as the director may require.

2. (b) The department may not issue a license unless the department finds that the financial responsibility, character, and fitness of:

   1. (1) the applicant and any significant affiliate of the applicant;
   2. (2) each executive officer, director, or manager of the applicant, or any other individual having a similar status or performing a similar function for the applicant;
   3. (3) if known, each person directly or indirectly owning of record or owning beneficially at least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares of any class of equity security of the applicant; and

   4. (4) each of the applicant's:

      1. (A) employees; or

      2. (B) agents;

         authorized to initiate transactions involving the trust account required under section 9 of this chapter;

         warrant belief that the business will be operated honestly and fairly under this chapter. The department is entitled to request evidence of an applicant's financial responsibility, character, and fitness.

3. (c) An application submitted under this section must indicate whether any individuals described in subsection (b)(2), (b)(3), or (b)(4):

   1. (1) are, at the time of the application, under indictment for a felony under Indiana law or the laws of any other jurisdiction; or
   2. (2) have been convicted of a felony under Indiana law or the laws of any other jurisdiction.

4. (d) Unless waived upon written request to and approval by the director, an application submitted to the department under this section must include copies of the applicant's audited financial statements for the applicant's most recently concluded fiscal year and, if available, for the applicant's two (2) fiscal years immediately preceding the applicant's most recently concluded fiscal year, including a:

   1. (1) balance sheet;
   2. (2) statement of income or loss;
   3. (3) statement of changes in shareholder equity; and

   4. (4) statement of changes in financial position.

      A financial statement required to be submitted under this subsection must be prepared, by an independent certified public accountant authorized to do business in the United States, in accordance with AICPA Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS) and in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.

5. (e) The department may deny an application under this section if the director of the department determines that the application was submitted for the benefit of, or on behalf of, a person who does not qualify for a license.

6. (f) Upon written request, an applicant is entitled to a hearing under IC 4-21.5 on the question of the qualifications of the applicant for a license.

   Formerly: Acts 1971, P.L.397, SEC.1; Acts 1972, P.L.10, SEC.6. As amended by P.L.42-1993, SEC.52; P.L.80-1998, SEC.11; P.L.10-2006, SEC.34 and P.L.57-2006, SEC.34; P.L.213-2007, SEC.46; P.L.217-2007, SEC.44; P.L.90-2008, SEC.29; P.L.35-2010, SEC.123; P.L.216-2013, SEC.22; P.L.69-2018, SEC.46.

As amended by P.L.42-1993, SEC.52; P.L.80-1998, SEC.11; P.L.10-2006, SEC.34 and P.L.57-2006, SEC.34; P.L.213-2007, SEC.46; P.L.217-2007, SEC.44; P.L.90-2008, SEC.29; P.L.35-2010, SEC.123; P.L.216-2013, SEC.22; P.L.69-2018, SEC.46.