(A) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, any person who wishes to be a wholesaler of fireworks in this state shall submit to the fire marshal an application for licensure as a wholesaler of fireworks before the first day of October of each year. The application shall be submitted prior to commencement of business operations, shall be on a form prescribed by the fire marshal, shall contain all information 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 wholesaler 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 wholesaler 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 (G) of section 3743.17 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, in an amount not less than one million dollars for each occurrence for bodily injury liability and wrongful death liability at its business location. Proof of such insurance coverage shall be submitted together with proof of coverage for products liability on all inventory located at the business location. 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 licensed manufacturer of fireworks is not required to apply for and obtain a wholesaler of fireworks license in order to engage in the wholesale sale of fireworks as authorized by division (C)(2) of section 3743.04 of the Revised Code. A business which is not a licensed manufacturer of fireworks may engage in the wholesale and retail sale of fireworks in the same manner as a licensed manufacturer of fireworks is authorized to do under this chapter without the necessity of applying for and obtaining a license pursuant to this section, but only if the business sells the fireworks on the premises of a fireworks plant covered by a license issued under section 3743.03 of the Revised Code and the holder of that license owns at least a majority interest in that business. However, if a licensed manufacturer of fireworks wishes to engage in the wholesale sale of fireworks in this state at a location other than the premises of the fireworks plant described in its application for licensure as a manufacturer or in a notification submitted under division (B) of section 3743.04 of the Revised Code, the manufacturer shall first apply for and obtain a wholesaler of fireworks license before engaging in wholesale sales of fireworks at the other location.

(D) A separate application for licensure as a wholesaler of fireworks shall be submitted for each location at which a person wishes to engage in wholesale sales of fireworks.

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