502.412 Denial, revocation, suspension, withdrawal, restriction, condition, or limitation of registration.

1. Disciplinary conditions — applicants. If the administrator finds that the order is in the public interest and subsection 4 authorizes the action, an order issued under this chapter may deny an application, or may condition or limit registration of an applicant to be a broker-dealer, agent, investment adviser, or investment adviser representative, and, if the applicant is a broker-dealer or investment adviser, of a partner, officer, director, or person having a similar status or performing similar functions, or a person directly or indirectly in control, of the broker-dealer or investment adviser.

2. Disciplinary conditions — registrants. If the administrator finds that the order is in the public interest and subsection 4 authorizes the action, an order issued under this chapter may revoke, suspend, condition, or limit the registration of a registrant and, if the registrant is a broker-dealer or investment adviser, of a partner, officer, director, or person having a similar status or performing similar functions, or a person directly or indirectly in control, of the broker-dealer or investment adviser. However, the administrator shall not do any of the following:

a. Institute a revocation or suspension proceeding under this subsection based solely on an order issued under a law of another state that is reported to the administrator or a designee of the administrator more than one year after the date of the order on which it is based.

b. Under subsection 4, paragraph “e”, subparagraph (1) or (2), issue an order on the basis of an order issued under the securities Act of another state unless the other order was based on conduct for which subsection 4 would authorize the action had the conduct occurred in this state.

3. Disciplinary penalties — registrants. If the administrator finds that the order is in the public interest and subsection 4, paragraphs “a” through “f”, “h”, “i”, “j”, “l”, or “m”, authorizes the action, an order under this chapter may censure, impose a bar, or impose a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed a maximum of ten thousand dollars for a single violation or one million dollars for more than one violation, or in an amount as agreed to by the parties, on a registrant, and, if the registrant is a broker-dealer or investment adviser, on a partner, officer, director, or person having a similar status or performing similar functions, or on a person directly or indirectly in control, of the broker-dealer or investment adviser.

4. Grounds for discipline. A person may be disciplined under subsections 1 through 3 if any of the following applies:

a. The person has filed an application for registration in this state under this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, within the previous ten years, which, as of the effective date of registration or as of any date after filing in the case of an order denying effectiveness, was incomplete in any material respect or contained a statement that, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, was false or misleading with respect to a material fact.

b. The person willfully violated or willfully failed to comply with this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, or a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, within the previous ten years.

c. The person has been convicted of a felony or within the previous ten years has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving a security, a commodity future or option contract, or an aspect of a business involving securities, commodities, investments, franchises, insurance, banking, or finance.

d. The person is enjoined or restrained by a court of competent jurisdiction in an action instituted by the administrator under this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, a state, the securities and exchange commission, or the United States from engaging in or continuing an act, practice, or course of business involving an aspect of a business involving securities, commodities, investments, franchises, insurance, banking, or finance.

e. The person is the subject of an order, issued after notice and opportunity for hearing, by any of the following:

(1) The securities or other financial services regulator of a state or the securities and exchange commission or other federal agency denying, revoking, barring, or suspending registration as a broker-dealer, agent, investment adviser, federal covered investment adviser, or investment adviser representative.

(2) The securities regulator of a state or the securities and exchange commission against a broker-dealer, agent, investment adviser, investment adviser representative, or federal covered investment adviser.

(3) The securities and exchange commission or a self-regulatory organization suspending or expelling the registrant from membership in the self-regulatory organization.

(4) A court adjudicating a United States postal service fraud order.

(5) The insurance regulator of a state denying, suspending, or revoking registration as an insurance agent or insurance producer.

(6) A depository institution regulator or financial services regulator suspending or barring the person from the depository institution or other financial services business.

f. The person is the subject of an adjudication or determination, after notice and opportunity for hearing, by the securities and exchange commission, the commodity futures trading commission, the federal trade commission, a federal depository institution regulator, or a depository institution, insurance, or other financial services regulator of a state that the person willfully violated the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Commodity Exchange Act, the securities or commodities law of a state, or a federal or state law under which a business involving investments, franchises, insurance, banking, or finance is regulated.

g. The person is insolvent, either because the person’s liabilities exceed the person’s assets or because the person cannot meet the person’s obligations as they mature, but the administrator shall not enter an order against an applicant or registrant under this paragraph without a finding of insolvency as to the applicant or registrant.

h. The person refuses to allow or otherwise impedes the administrator from conducting an audit or inspection under section 502.411, subsection 4, or refuses access to a registrant’s office to conduct an audit or inspection under section 502.411, subsection 4.

i. The person has failed to reasonably supervise an agent, investment adviser representative, or other individual, if the agent, investment adviser representative, or other individual was subject to the person’s supervision and committed a violation of this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, or a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter or chapter 502, Code 2003 and Code Supplement 2003, within the previous ten years.

j. The person has not paid the proper filing fee within thirty days after having been notified by the administrator of a deficiency, but the administrator shall vacate an order under this paragraph when the deficiency is corrected.

k. The person after notice and opportunity for a hearing has been found within the previous ten years to have done any of the following:

(1) By a court of competent jurisdiction to have willfully violated the laws of a foreign jurisdiction under which the business of securities, commodities, investment, franchises, insurance, banking, or finance is regulated.

(2) To have been the subject of an order of a securities regulator of a foreign jurisdiction denying, revoking, or suspending the right to engage in the business of securities as a broker-dealer, agent, investment adviser, investment adviser representative, or similar person.

(3) To have been suspended or expelled from membership by or participation in a securities exchange or securities association operating under the securities laws of a foreign jurisdiction.

l. The person is the subject of a cease and desist order issued by the securities and exchange commission or issued under the securities, commodities, investment, franchise, banking, finance, or insurance laws of a state.

m. The person has engaged in dishonest or unethical practices in the securities, commodities, investment, franchise, banking, finance, or insurance business within the previous ten years.

n. The person is not qualified on the basis of factors such as training, experience, and knowledge of the securities business. However, in the case of an application by an agent for a broker-dealer that is a member of a self-regulatory organization or by an individual for registration as an investment adviser representative, a denial order shall not be based on this paragraph if the individual has successfully completed all examinations required by subsection 5. The administrator may require an applicant for registration under section 502.402 or 502.404 who has not been registered in a state within the two years preceding the filing of an application in this state to successfully complete an examination.

5. Examinations. A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require that an examination, including an examination developed or approved by an organization of securities regulators, be successfully completed by a class of individuals or all individuals. An order issued under this chapter may waive, in whole or in part, an examination as to an individual and a rule adopted under this chapter may waive, in whole or in part, an examination as to a class of individuals if the administrator determines that the examination is not necessary or appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors.

6. Summary process. The administrator may suspend or deny an application summarily; restrict, condition, limit, or suspend a registration; or censure, bar, or impose a civil penalty on a registrant before final determination of an administrative proceeding. Upon the issuance of an order, the administrator shall promptly notify each person subject to the order that the order has been issued, the reasons for the action, and that within fifteen days after the receipt of a request in a record from the person the matter will be scheduled for a hearing. If a hearing is not requested and none is ordered by the administrator within thirty days after the date of service of the order, the order becomes final by operation of law. If a hearing is requested or ordered, the administrator, after notice of and opportunity for hearing to each person subject to the order, may modify or vacate the order or extend the order until final determination. Section 17A.18A is inapplicable to a summary order issued under this subsection.

7. Procedural requirements. An order issued shall not be issued under this section, except under subsection 6, without all of the following:

a. Appropriate notice to the applicant or registrant.

b. Opportunity for hearing.

c. Findings of fact and conclusions of law in a record in accordance with chapter 17A.

8. Control person liability. A person that controls, directly or indirectly, a person not in compliance with this section may be disciplined by order of the administrator under subsections 1 through 3 to the same extent as the noncomplying person, unless the controlling person did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of conduct that is a ground for discipline under this section.

9. Limit on investigation or proceeding. The administrator shall not institute a proceeding under subsection 1, 2, or 3 based solely on material facts actually known by the administrator unless an investigation or the proceeding is instituted within two years after the administrator actually acquires knowledge of the material facts.

2004 Acts, ch 1161, §37, 68; 2005 Acts, ch 3, §77; 2006 Acts, ch 1117, §9, 10; 2013 Acts, ch 124, §4; 2014 Acts, ch 1092, §110; 2015 Acts, ch 128, §8, 50, 51

Referred to in §502.304A, 502.406, 502.408, 502.409