(a)        The following definitions apply in this section:

(1)        Applicant. – An individual, partnership, limited liability corporation, or corporation who applies for certification as a common carrier of household goods in the State of North Carolina.

(2)        Certificate. – A certificate of exemption or a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Utilities Commission to authorize the holder to engage in the intrastate transportation of household goods for compensation in the State of North Carolina.

(3)        Criminal history. – A State or federal history of conviction of a crime, whether a misdemeanor or felony, that bears upon an applicant’s or current holder’s fitness to possess a certificate.

(4)        Current holder. – An individual, partnership, limited liability corporation, or corporation who has been certified as a common carrier of household goods in the State of North Carolina.

(b)        The Commission shall conduct a criminal history record check of applicants and current holders of a certificate to transport household goods. An applicant for or current holder of a certificate to transport household goods must furnish the Commission with a complete set of the applicant’s fingerprints in a manner prescribed by the Commission. In those instances where the quality characteristic of an applicant’s or current holder’s fingerprints is determined to be too low or otherwise inadequate for processing by the FBI, the applicant or current holder shall comply with the Commission’s criminal history record check requirement pursuant to the Commission’s alternate name-based records check procedure.

(c)        If the applicant’s or current holder’s verified criminal history record check reveals one or more convictions, the convictions shall not automatically constitute cause for denying an application or revoking a certificate. However, all of the following factors shall be considered by the Commission in determining whether the application should be denied or the certificate revoked:

(1)        The level and seriousness of the crime.

(2)        The date of the crime.

(3)        The age of the person at the time of the conviction.

(4)        The nature of the crime as it relates to the duties and responsibilities of a common carrier of household goods.

(5)        The employment history of the person after the date the crime was committed.

(6)        Any evidence of rehabilitation of the person after the date the crime was committed.

(d)       The Commission may deny an application or revoke a certificate if the applicant or current holder refuses to consent to a criminal history record check or use of fingerprints or other identifying information required by the State or National Repositories of Criminal Histories. ?(2012-9, s. 1.)