(A) Any person who wishes to manufacture fireworks in this state shall submit to the fire marshal an application for licensure as a manufacturer of fireworks before the first day of October of each year. The application shall be submitted prior to the operation of a fireworks plant, shall be on a form prescribed by the fire marshal, shall contain all information required by this section or requested by the fire marshal, and shall be accompanied by the license fee, fingerprints, and proof of insurance coverage described in division (B) of this section.

The fire marshal shall prescribe a form for applications for licensure as a manufacturer of fireworks and make a copy of the form available, upon request, to persons who seek that licensure.

(B) An applicant for licensure as a manufacturer of fireworks shall submit with the application all of the following:

(1) A license fee of two thousand seven hundred fifty dollars, which the fire marshal shall use to pay for fireworks safety education, training programs, and inspections. If the applicant has any storage locations approved in accordance with division (I) of section 3743.04 of the Revised Code, the applicant also shall submit a fee of one hundred dollars per storage location for the inspection of each storage location.

(2) Proof of comprehensive general liability insurance coverage, specifically including fire and smoke casualty on premises and products, in an amount not less than one million dollars for each occurrence for bodily injury liability and wrongful death liability at the fireworks plant. All applicants shall submit evidence of comprehensive general liability insurance coverage verified by the insurer and certified as to its provision of the minimum coverage required under this division.

(3) One set of the applicant's fingerprints or similar identifying information and a set of fingerprints or similar identifying information of any individual holding, owning, or controlling a five per cent or greater beneficial or equity interest in the applicant for the license. The fire marshal may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code specifying the method to be used by the applicant to provide the fingerprint or similar identifying information, fees to be assessed by the fire marshal to conduct such background checks, and the procedures to be used by the fire marshal to verify compliance with this section. Such rules may include provisions establishing the frequency that license renewal applicants must update background check information filed by the applicant with previous license applications and provisions describing alternative forms of background check information that may be accepted by the fire marshal to verify compliance with this section.

(C) A separate application for licensure as a manufacturer of fireworks shall be submitted for each fireworks plant that a person wishes to operate in this state.

(D) If an applicant intends to include the processing of fireworks as any part of its proposed manufacturing of fireworks, a statement indicating that intent shall be included in its application for licensure.

Effective Date: 06-29-2001; 09-29-2005; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008 .