A.  The procedure of the board in approving or denying an application shall be as follows:

(1)  If the application is approved, the board shall notify the applicant in writing that a license shall be issued.

(2)  If the application is denied, the board shall notify the applicant in writing and shall set forth the grounds for denial.

(3)(a)  If the grounds for denial are subject to correction by the applicant, the notice of denial shall so state and the applicant shall be given ten days after receipt of such notice, or, upon application, a reasonable additional period of time within which to make the required correction.

(b)  If the application is denied, the applicant, within thirty days after receipt of notice of denial from the board, may request a hearing on the denial.  Within ten days after the filing of such request for hearing by the applicant, the board shall schedule a hearing to be held after due notice to the applicant.  The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

B.  The board shall issue a license as a private investigator to each applicant who meets the requirements of this Chapter, passes satisfactorily the examination administered by the board, and pays the required fee.

C.  Any applicant who fails an examination may be reexamined upon expiration of at least thirty days and upon filing a new application and the payment of the reexamination fee.

D.  A qualified agency or company in existence on August 21, 1992, may be licensed without an examination, upon approval of the board, if application is made to the board before December 31, 1992.  In determining the qualifications of an applicant for licensing under this Subsection, an affirmative vote of at least four members of the board is required.

E.  Upon satisfactorily passing the examination administered by the board and paying the required fee the following persons, if otherwise qualified, may be licensed without the necessity of taking the training course required by La. Rev. Stat. 37:3509(C):

(1)  Any person who was a commissioned law enforcement officer in this state as of May 14, 1993, and who has a valid certificate from a law enforcement training center accredited by the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

(2)  Any person who was a commissioned law enforcement officer prior to January, 1986, and who was certified pursuant to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 40:2405.

(3)  Any person who was a commissioned law enforcement officer in another state as of May 14, 1993, and who holds a certificate from a law enforcement training center in that state which meets the requirements of the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Acts 1992, No. 245, §2; Acts 1993, No. 915, §1; Acts 1999, No. 675, §1.