2021 Georgia Code
Title 7 - Banking and Finance
Chapter 1 - Financial Institutions
Article 4 - Sale of Payment Instruments
§ 7-1-684. Investigation of Applicants for Licensure; Background Checks on Employees and Others

1. The department shall conduct an investigation of every applicant for licensure to determine the financial responsibility, experience, character, and general fitness of such applicant. The department may issue the applicant a license to transmit money or sell payment instruments if the department determines to its general satisfaction that:
   1. The applicant is financially sound and responsible and able to transmit money or sell payment instruments in an honest, fair, and efficient manner and with the confidence and trust of the community; and
   2. All conditions for licensure set forth in this article or the rules and regulations of the department have been satisfied.
2. The department shall not issue a license or may revoke a license if it finds that the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent; any person who is a director, officer, partner, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent; or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent has been convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction or of a crime which, if committed within this state, would constitute a felony under the laws of this state. For the purposes of this article, a person shall be deemed to have been convicted of a crime if such person shall have pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a charge thereof before a court or federal magistrate or shall have been found guilty thereof by the decision or judgment of a court or federal magistrate or by the verdict of a jury, irrespective of the pronouncement of sentence or the suspension thereof and regardless of whether first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was entered or an adjudication or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on that charge, unless and until such plea of guilty or such decision, judgment, or verdict shall have been set aside, reversed, or otherwise abrogated by lawful judicial process or until probation, sentence, or both probation and sentence of a first offender have been successfully completed and documented or unless the person convicted of the crime shall have received a pardon therefor from the President of the United States or the governor or other pardoning authority in the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred or shall have received an official certification of pardon granted by the state's pardoning body where the conviction occurred which removes the legal disabilities resulting from such conviction and restores civil and political rights.
3. The department shall be authorized to obtain conviction data with respect to any applicant, licensee, or authorized agent, any person who is a director, officer, partner, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent, or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent. The department may submit directly to the Georgia Crime Information Center two complete sets of fingerprints of such person, together with the required records search fees and such other information as may be required. Fees for background checks that the department administers shall be sent to the department by applicants, licensees, and authorized agents together with the fingerprints.
4. Upon request by the department, each applicant, licensee, or authorized agent, any person who is a director, officer, partner, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent, or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent shall submit to the department two complete sets of fingerprints, the required records search fees, and such other information as may be required. Fees for background checks that the department administers shall be submitted to the department by applicants, licensees, and authorized agents together with two complete sets of fingerprints, and the department is authorized to net such fees to recover any costs incurred by the department related to running the background checks. Upon receipt of fingerprints, fees, and other required information, the Georgia Crime Information Center shall promptly transmit one set of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a search of bureau records and an appropriate report and shall retain the other set and promptly conduct a search of its own records and records to which it has access. The Georgia Crime Information Center shall notify the department in writing of any derogatory finding, including, but not limited to, any conviction data regarding the fingerprint records check, or if there is no such finding. All conviction data received by the department or by the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent shall be used by the party requesting such data for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the responsibilities of this article, shall not be a public record, shall be confidential, and shall not be disclosed to any other person or agency except to any person or agency which otherwise has a legal right to inspect such data. All such records shall be maintained by the department and the applicant, licensee, or authorized agent pursuant to laws regarding such records and the rules and regulations of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Crime Information Center, as applicable. As used in this Code section, the term "conviction data" means a record of a finding, verdict, or plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere with regard to any crime, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought.
5. Every applicant and licensee shall be authorized and required to obtain and maintain the results of background checks on covered employees. Such background checks shall be handled by the Georgia Crime Information Center pursuant to Code Section 35-3-34 and the rules and regulations of the Georgia Crime Information Center. Applicants and licensees shall be responsible for any applicable fees charged by the Georgia Crime Information Center. An applicant or licensee may only employ a person whose background data has been checked and has been found to be in compliance with all lawful requirements prior to the initial date of hire. This provision does not apply to directors, officers, partners, or ultimate equitable owners of applicants or licensees or to persons who direct the affairs of or control or establish policy for applicants or licensees, whose background shall have been investigated through the department before taking office, beginning employment, or securing ownership. Upon receipt of information from the Georgia Crime Information Center that is incomplete or that indicates a covered employee has a criminal record in any state other than Georgia, the employer shall submit to the department two complete sets of fingerprint cards for such person, together with the applicable fees and any other required information. The department shall submit such fingerprints as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section.
6. Upon request by the department, an applicant, licensee, or authorized agent shall take all steps necessary to have an international criminal history background check performed on any directors, officers, partners, covered employees, or ultimate equitable owners of applicants, licensees, or authorized agents or persons who direct the affairs of or control or establish policy for applicants, licensees, or authorized agents. The results of such international criminal history background check shall be provided to the department.
7. Applicants and licensees shall have the primary responsibility for obtaining background checks on covered employees. The department shall be entitled to review the files of any applicant or licensee to determine whether the required background checks have been run and whether all covered employees are qualified. The department shall be authorized to discuss the status of employee background checks with applicants, licensees, and authorized agents. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this article, the department shall retain the right to obtain conviction data on covered employees of applicants, licensees, and authorized agents.

(Code 1981, §7-1-684, enacted by Ga. L. 2014, p. 251, § 1/HB 982; Ga. L. 2015, p. 344, § 26/HB 184; Ga. L. 2020, p. 493, § 7/SB 429.)

The 2020 amendment, effective July 29, 2020, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted "As used in this Code section, the term 'conviction data'" for "As used in this Code section, 'conviction data'" at the beginning of the last sentence of subsection (d).