(a) In order to obtain a certificate of registration, a person must file an application with the commissioner on forms approved and furnished by the commissioner, giving the information that the commissioner may reasonably require in order to determine the qualifications of the applicant, including, but not limited to, identification of all persons owning an interest in the applicant and addresses of any affiliated lenders in this state.

(b) Upon the filing of an application and payment by the applicant of a nonrefundable supervision fee, as provided in § 45-1-118(i), the commissioner shall investigate the facts concerning the application and the information contained in the application. If the commissioner finds that the applicant meets the qualifications specified in this chapter for registration, the commissioner shall approve the application.

(c) At the time of the filing of an application for a certificate of registration, each applicant that makes or proposes to make residential mortgage loans shall file with the commissioner a surety bond payable to the state, in a form to be approved by the commissioner, for the benefit of any person injured by the wrongful act, default, fraud or misrepresentation of the registrant. The surety bond shall provide coverage for each mortgage loan originator in an amount that reflects the dollar amount of residential mortgage loans originated by the registrant, as determined by the commissioner; provided, that, for the first period of registration during which the company makes or proposes to make residential mortgage loans, or for the 2009-2010 registration period, or both, as applicable, the surety bond shall be in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). Only one (1) bond is required for the registrant, regardless of the number of offices. Immediately upon recovery upon any action on the bond, the registrant shall file a new bond. The bond shall be maintained by the registrant for not less than twenty-four (24) months following the expiration, revocation, suspension or surrender of the certificate of registration. A registrant that has obtained registration under subsection (d) shall first comply with the surety bond requirements of this subsection (c) prior to making or proposing to make a residential mortgage loan. A registrant authorized to make residential mortgage loans on July 1, 2009, and holding a letter of credit, as opposed to a surety bond, shall be required to comply with the surety bond requirements of this subsection (c) in order to renew the registrant’s registration in 2010.

(d) All other applicants shall, at the time of the filing of an application for a certificate of registration, file with the commissioner a surety bond payable to the state or a letter of credit, in each case in a form to be approved by the commissioner, for the benefit of any person injured by the wrongful act, default, fraud or misrepresentation of the registrant or the registrant's employees, or both, in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). Only one (1) bond or letter of credit is required, regardless of the number of offices of the registrant. The bond or letter of credit shall be maintained by the registrant for not less than twenty-four (24) months following the expiration, revocation, suspension or surrender of the certificate of registration.

(e) As a condition of registration for applicants that propose to make residential mortgage loans, or as a condition of a registrant later obtaining such authority, the commissioner may adopt rules to require that certain individuals associated with the applicant or registrant successfully complete testing or educational courses, or both, approved by the commissioner. The rules may extend to any individual who is an officer, partner, managing member or controlling person, or to any other individual associated with the applicant or registrant as is reasonably necessary to meet the purposes of this chapter.

(f) The commissioner may require education and testing providers of any of the educational courses or tests required under this chapter to file information regarding the contents and materials of the proposed courses or tests with the commissioner for review and approval. The commissioner may set fees for the initial and continuing review of courses and tests.

(g) The commissioner is authorized to require an applicant for a certificate of registration to consent to a criminal history records check and to provide with the application fingerprints in a form acceptable to the commissioner. The commissioner may require such consent and fingerprints from any individual who is an officer, partner, managing member or ultimate equitable owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the applicant, as well as from any other individual associated with the applicant as is reasonably necessary to meet the purposes of this chapter. Refusal of any person to consent to a criminal history records check or to provide fingerprints as allowed by this section constitutes grounds for the commissioner to deny registration to the applicant.

(h)

(1) Any criminal history records check conducted under subsection (g) shall be conducted by the Tennessee bureau of investigation or the federal bureau of investigation, or both, and the results of the criminal history records check shall be forwarded to the commissioner. All costs incurred in conducting the criminal history records check shall be paid by the applicant, in addition to any other fees required by this chapter.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, the commissioner shall not use a multi-state automated licensing system to share federal bureau of investigation criminal history background information of any individual other than mortgage loan originators, unless authorized to do so by the federal Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (12 U.S.C. §§ 5101-5116), as amended, or other federal law.