(A) Upon the filing of a complete application for a license, accompanied by the fee required, if the department finds that the financial responsibility and condition, character, qualifications, and general fitness of the applicant, and of the members if the applicant is a co-partnership, association, or limited liability company, and of the officers and directors if the applicant is a corporation, are such as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant belief that the business may be operated honestly, fairly, and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, it shall license the applicant and issue a license. If the department does not so find, it shall refuse to license the applicant and shall notify him of the denial.

(B) Upon the receipt of the license, a licensee may engage in the business for which the license is issued. The issued license is nontransferable and nonassignable.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 37-7-107

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Credit counseling organization: means a person providing or offering to provide to consumers credit counseling services for a fee, compensation, or gain, or in the expectation of a fee, compensation, or gain, including debt management plans. See South Carolina Code 37-7-101
  • Credit counselor: means an employee or agent of a credit counseling organization engaging in services described in item (3). See South Carolina Code 37-7-101
  • Department: means the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 37-7-101
  • Licensee: means a person licensed pursuant to this chapter. See South Carolina Code 37-7-101

(C) Each license issued to a licensee must state the address or addresses at which the business is to be conducted and must state fully the name of the licensee and the date of the license. A copy of the license must be posted prominently in each place of business of the licensee.

(D) A license issued pursuant to this section expires on December thirty-first of each year. A license must be renewed by filing with the department, at least thirty days before the expiration of the license, a complete renewal application, containing the information the department requires to determine the existence and effect of any material changes from the information contained in the applicant’s original application, annual reports, or previous renewal application. Each credit counseling organization renewal application must be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of one hundred dollars for each business location. Each credit counselor renewal application must be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of forty dollars.