Subd. 1. General grounds.

The commissioner may by order deny, suspend, or revoke any license or may censure the licensee, if the commissioner finds (a) that the order is in the public interest and (b) that the applicant or licensee or, in the case of a broker-dealer or investment adviser, any partner, officer, or director, any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, or any person directly or indirectly controlling the broker-dealer or investment adviser:

1. (1) has filed an application for license which as of its effective date, or as of any date after filing in the case of an order denying effectiveness, was incomplete in any material respect or contained any statement which was, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, false or misleading with respect to any material fact;
2. (2) has willfully violated or failed to comply with any provision of this chapter or a predecessor law or any provision of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Commodity Exchange Act, or any rule or order under any of these statutes, of which that person has notice and is subject;
3. (3) has been convicted, within the past ten years, of any misdemeanor involving a security or any aspect of the securities business, or any felony;
4. (4) is permanently or temporarily enjoined by any court of competent jurisdiction from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice involving any aspect of the securities business;
5. (5) is the subject of an order of the commissioner denying, suspending, or revoking a license as a broker-dealer, agent or investment adviser;
6. (6) is the subject of an order entered within the past five years by the securities administrator of any other state or by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any national securities exchange or national securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, denying or revoking registration or license as a broker-dealer, agent, or investment adviser, or is the subject of an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange or national securities association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, suspending, barring, or expelling that person from a national securities exchange or association registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or is the subject of a United States post office fraud order. The commissioner may not institute a revocation or suspension proceeding under this clause more than one year from the date of the order relied on, and may not enter an order under this clause on the basis of an order under another state law unless the order was based on facts which would currently constitute a ground for an order under this section;
7. (7) has engaged in dishonest or fraudulent practices in the securities business;
8. (8) has failed to maintain the minimum net capital or to comply with the limitation on aggregate indebtedness which the commissioner by rule prescribes;
9. (9) is not qualified on the basis of such factors as training, experience, and knowledge of the securities business;
10. (10) has failed reasonably to supervise agents, investment adviser representatives, or employees to assure their compliance with this chapter;
11. (11) has failed to pay the proper filing fee, but the commissioner shall vacate the order when the deficiency has been corrected;
12. (12) has offered or sold securities in this state through any unlicensed agent;
13. (13) has made any material misrepresentation to the commissioner, or upon request reasonably made by the commissioner, has withheld or concealed information from, or refused to furnish information to, the commissioner;
14. (14) has failed to reasonably supervise agents, investment adviser representatives, or employees if that person has assumed or has been designated to carry out the supervisory procedures of the broker-dealer or investment adviser; or

15. (15) has failed, within 20 business days after receiving written instructions from a customer, to do any of the following:

    1. (a) transfer or deliver securities that have been purchased;
    2. (b) transfer or deliver any free credit balances reflecting completed transactions; or
    3. (c) transfer or deliver a customer's account securities positions and balances to another broker-dealer. This clause shall not serve as a basis for denial, suspension, or revocation of a broker-dealer's or agent's license if: (i) the transfer or delivery is between broker-dealers and meets the rules and requirements established by the New York Stock Exchange with regard to the transfer or delivery; or (ii) the delivery of securities to a customer cannot be accomplished within 20 business days, and the broker-dealer or agent has notified the customer in writing of the inability to deliver the securities and the reasons for the nondelivery within 20 business days of receiving the customer's written instructions.

Subd. 1a. Investment adviser representatives.

The commissioner, by order, shall censure or place limitations on the activities of any investment adviser representative or person seeking to become an investment adviser representative, or suspend or bar any person from being an investment adviser representative, if the commissioner finds, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that the censure, placing of limitations, suspension, or bar is in the public interest and that the person has committed or omitted any act or omission enumerated in subdivision 1. It shall be unlawful for any person as to whom an order suspending or barring that person from being an investment adviser representative is in effect willfully to become, or to be, associated with an investment adviser without the consent of the commissioner, and it shall be unlawful for any investment adviser to permit this person to become, or remain, an investment adviser representative without the consent of the commissioner, if the investment adviser knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known of the order.

Subd. 2. Limitation.

The commissioner may not institute a suspension or revocation proceeding solely on the basis of a fact or transaction known to the commissioner when the initial license was issued unless the proceeding is instituted within the next 30 days after the issuance of the initial license.

Subd. 3. Order to show cause.

The commissioner may issue an order requiring a licensee or an applicant for a license to show cause why the license should not be revoked or the application denied. The order shall be calculated to give reasonable notice of the time and place for hearing thereon, and shall state the reasons for the entry of the order. The commissioner may by order summarily suspend a license, or in the case of an investment adviser representative or person seeking to become an investment adviser representative, summarily suspend or bar that person from acting in that capacity, pending final determination of any order to show cause. If a license is suspended pending final determination of an order to show cause, a hearing on the merits shall be held within 30 days of the issuance of the order of suspension. All hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 14. After the hearing, the commissioner shall enter an order making a disposition of the matter as the facts require. If the licensee or applicant fails to appear at a hearing of which that person has been duly notified, the person shall be deemed in default and the proceeding may be determined against that person upon consideration of the order to show cause, the allegations of which may be deemed to be true. The commissioner may adopt rules of procedure concerning all proceedings conducted pursuant to this subdivision.

Subd. 4. Specific grounds.

If the commissioner finds that any licensee or applicant is no longer in existence or has ceased to do business as a broker-dealer, agent or investment adviser, or is subject to an adjudication of mental incompetence or to the control of a committee, conservator or guardian, or cannot be located after reasonable search, the commissioner may by order revoke the license or deny the application.

Subd. 5. Withdrawals.

Withdrawal from the status of a licensed broker-dealer, agent or investment adviser becomes effective 30 days after receipt of an application to withdraw or within such shorter period as the commissioner determines unless a revocation or suspension proceeding is pending when the application is filed or a proceeding to revoke or suspend or to impose conditions upon the withdrawal is instituted within 30 days after the application is filed. If a proceeding is pending or instituted, withdrawal becomes effective at such time and upon such conditions as the commissioner by order determines. If no proceeding is pending or instituted and withdrawal automatically becomes effective, the commissioner may institute a revocation or suspension proceeding under subdivision 1, clause (b) within two years after withdrawal became effective and enter a revocation or suspension order as of the last date on which the license was in effect.