Fla. Stat. § 559.555
Registration of consumer collection agencies; procedure
Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2016
As of January 1, 2011
Any person required to register as a consumer collection agency shall furnish to the office the registration fee and information as follows:
(1) The registrant shall pay to the office a registration fee in the amount of $200. All amounts collected shall be deposited by the office to the credit of the Regulatory Trust Fund of the office.
(2) Each registrant shall provide to the office the business name or trade name, the current mailing address, the current business location which constitutes its principal place of business, and the full name of each individual who is a principal of the registrant. “Principal of a registrant” means the registrant’s owners if a partnership or sole proprietorship, corporate officers, corporate directors other than directors of a not-for-profit corporation organized pursuant to chapter 617 and Florida resident agent if a corporate registrant. The registration information shall include a statement clearly identifying and explaining any occasion on which any professional license or state registration held by the registrant, by any principal of the registrant, or by any business entity in which any principal of the registrant was the owner of 10 percent or more of such business, was the subject of any suspension or revocation.
(1) A person who acts as a consumer collection agency must be registered in accordance with this section.
(2) In order to apply for a consumer collection agency registration, an applicant must:
(a) Submit a completed application form as prescribed by rule of the commission.
(b) Submit a nonrefundable application fee of $200. Application fees may not be prorated for partial years of registration.
(c) Submit fingerprints for each of the applicant’s control persons in accordance with rules adopted by the commission.
1. The fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement to provide live-scan fingerprinting.
2. A state criminal history background check must be conducted through the Department of Law Enforcement, and a national criminal history background check must be conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
3. All fingerprints submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement must be submitted electronically and entered into the statewide automated biometric identification system established in s. 943.05(2)(b) and available for use in accordance with s. 943.05(2)(g) and (h). The office shall pay an annual fee to the Department of Law Enforcement to participate in the system and inform the Department of Law Enforcement of any person whose fingerprints are no longer required to be retained.
4. The costs of fingerprint processing, including the cost of retaining the fingerprints, shall be borne by the person subject to the background check.
5. The office is responsible for reviewing the results of the state and national criminal history background checks and determining whether the applicant meets registration requirements.
(3) The office shall issue a consumer collection agency registration to each person who is not otherwise ineligible and who meets the requirements of this section. However, it is a ground for denial of registration if the applicant or one of the applicant’s control persons has committed any violation specified in this part, or is the subject of a pending felony criminal prosecution or a prosecution or an administrative enforcement action, in any jurisdiction, which involves fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust, money laundering, or any other act of moral turpitude.
(4) A registration issued under this part is not transferable or assignable.
(5) A consumer collection agency shall report, on a form prescribed by rule of the commission, any change in the information contained in an initial application form, or an amendment thereto, within 30 days after the change is effective.
(6) Renewal of registration shall be made between October 1 and December 31 of each year. There shall be no proration of the fee for any registration. In order to renew a consumer collection agency registration, a registrant must submit a nonrefundable renewal fee equal to the registration fee and a nonrefundable fee to cover the costs of further fingerprint processing and retention as set forth by commission rule.
Official source: Online Sunshine (Florida Legislature). Reproduced from public-domain Florida statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.