(1) It is unlawful for any wholesale subcontractor to sell or offer for sale cigarettes to a retailer in this state without first obtaining a license therefor, granted and issued by the department, which license shall be in effect until June 30 following the date of issue, unless sooner revoked. Such licenses shall be granted only to such wholesale subcontractors who own or operate the places from which such sales are to be made, and, in case sales are made from two or more separate places by any such wholesale subcontractor, a separate license for each place of business shall be required. No license shall be issued to a wholesale subcontractor unless the wholesale subcontractor has a current license issued pursuant to section 39-26-103. Such licenses shall be renewed only upon timely application and payment of the required fee prior to expiration. Such licenses may be transferred in the discretion of and pursuant to rules adopted by the department. The license fee shall be ten dollars per year, and such license fees shall be credited to the wholesale and distributing subcontractor license fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury. All moneys in the fund shall be subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly to the department for costs incurred in administering this section and section 39-28.5-104.5. Such license fees shall be reduced at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents for each expired quarter of the license year. The department shall, on reasonable notice and after a hearing, suspend or revoke the license of any wholesale subcontractor violating any provision of this article, and no license shall be issued to such wholesale subcontractor within a period of two years thereafter. The department may share information on the names and addresses of persons who purchased cigarettes from a wholesale subcontractor for resale with the department of public health and environment and county and district public health agencies. The department shall refuse to issue a new or renewal wholesale subcontractor license and shall revoke a wholesale subcontractor's license, if the wholesaler owes the state any delinquent taxes administered by the department or interest thereon pursuant to this title that have been determined by law to be due and unpaid, unless the wholesaler has entered into an agreement approved by the department to pay the amount due.

(2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2008, p. 183, § 2, effective August 5, 2008.)