Registration of commercial collection agencies; procedure.

Any person who wishes to register as a commercial collection agency in compliance with this part shall do so on forms adopted by the commission and furnished by the office. Any renewal of registration shall be made between October 1 and December 31 of each year. In registering or renewing a registration as required by this part, each commercial collection agency shall furnish to the office a registration fee, information, and surety bond, as follows:

(1) The registrant shall pay to the office a registration fee of $500. All amounts collected shall be deposited to the credit of the Regulatory Trust Fund of the office.

(2) The registrant shall provide the following information:

(a) The business name or trade name of the commercial collection agency, the current mailing address of the agency, and the current business location of each place from which the agency operates either a main or branch office, with a designation of which location constitutes its principal place of business.

(b) The full names, current addresses, current telephone numbers, and social security numbers, or federal identification numbers of any corporate owner, of the registrant’s owners or corporate officers and directors, and of the Florida resident agent of the registering agency.

(c) A statement as to whether the registrant is a domestic or foreign corporation, together with the state and date of incorporation, charter number of the corporation, and, if a foreign corporation, the date the corporation first registered to do business in this state.

(d) A statement listing each county in this state in which the registrant is currently doing business or plans to do business within the next calendar year, indicating each county in which the registrant holds an occupational license.

(e) A statement listing each county in this state in which the registrant is operating under a fictitious name or trade name other than that of the registrant, indicating the date and place of registration of any such fictitious name or trade name.

(f) A statement listing the names of any other corporations, entities, or trade names through which any owner or director of the registrant was known or did business as a commercial or consumer collection agency within the 5 calendar years immediately preceding the year in which the agency is registering.

(g) A statement clearly identifying and explaining any occasion on which any professional license or occupational license held by the registrant, any principal of the registrant, or 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, revocation, or other disciplinary action.

(h) A statement clearly identifying and explaining any occasion of a finding of guilt of any crime involving moral turpitude or dishonest conduct on the part of any principal of the registrant.

(3) The registrant shall furnish to the office evidence, as provided in s. 559.546, of the registrant having a current surety bond in the amount of $50,000, valid for the year of registration, paid for and issued for the use and benefit of any credit grantor who suffers or sustains any loss or damage by reason of any violation of the provisions of this part by the registrant, or by any agent or employee of the registrant acting within the scope of her or his employment, and issued to ensure conformance with the provisions of this part.