(1) The commission shall adopt by rule disciplinary guidelines applicable to each ground for disciplinary action that may be imposed by the office.

(a) The disciplinary guidelines shall specify a range of penalties based upon the severity and repetition of specific offenses. The disciplinary guidelines shall distinguish minor violations from violations that endanger the public health, safety, or welfare; provide reasonable notice to the public of penalties that may be imposed for proscribed conduct; and ensure that penalties are imposed in a consistent manner by the office.

(b) The commission shall identify mitigating and aggravating circumstances by rule that allow the office to impose a penalty other than that specified in the guidelines.

(2) The commission shall adopt by rule disqualifying periods pursuant to which an applicant will be disqualified from eligibility for registration based upon criminal convictions, pleas of nolo contendere, or pleas of guilt, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld, by the applicant; any partner, member, officer, or director of the applicant or any person having a similar status or performing similar functions; or any person directly or indirectly controlling the applicant.

(a) The disqualifying periods shall be 15 years for a felony and 5 years for a misdemeanor.

(b) The disqualifying periods shall be related to crimes involving registration as a dealer, investment adviser, issuer of securities, or associated person or the application for such registration or involving moral turpitude or fraudulent or dishonest dealing.

(c) The rules may also address mitigating factors, an additional waiting period based upon dates of imprisonment or community supervision, an additional waiting period based upon commitment of multiple crimes, and other factors reasonably related to the consideration of an applicant’s criminal history.

(d) An applicant is not eligible for registration until the expiration of the disqualifying period set by rule. Section 112.011 does not apply to the registration provisions under this chapter. Nothing in this section changes or amends the grounds for denial under s. 517.161.

History.—s. 10, ch. 2009-242; s. 6, ch. 2013-202.