Such applicant shall, with his application, deposit with the Secretary of State a bond as hereinafter provided, for each location at which the applicant intends to act as a remittance agent. The application shall be accompanied by the payment of a license fee in the sum of $50.00 (or $25.00 if such application is filed after July 1) for each location at which he proposes to act as a remittance agent. If the applicant shall have complied with all of the requirements of this Section and the Secretary of State shall find after investigation that the applicant is financially sound and of good business integrity, he shall issue the required license. Such license shall terminate on December 31 of the year for which it is issued, but upon application prior to November 15 of any year for which a license is in effect may be renewed for the next succeeding calendar year. Such application shall be accompanied by the payment of an annual license fee of $50.00 for each location at which the applicant proposes to act as a remittance agent and the posting of the bond herein provided, for each such location.
     The bond required by this Section shall be for the term of the license, or renewal thereof, for which application is made, and shall run to the People of the State of Illinois, with surety by a bonding or insurance company authorized to do business in this State, to be approved by the Secretary of State. It shall be conditioned upon the proper transmittal of all remittances by the applicant as a remittance agent and the performance of all undertakings in connection therewith. It shall be in the minimum sum of $20,000, or in an amount equal to the aggregate sum of money transmitted to the State by the applicant during the highest 15 day period in the fiscal year immediately preceding the one for which application is made (rounded to the nearest $1,000), whichever is the greater. However, for the purpose of determining the bond requirements hereunder, remittances made by applicants in the form of money orders, checks, or electronic payments which are made payable directly to the Secretary of State or the Illinois Department of Revenue by the remitter, shall not be considered in the aggregate. The bond requirement of this Section shall not apply to banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions chartered by the State of Illinois or the United States; provided that the banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions provide to the Secretary of State an affidavit stating that the bank, savings and loan association, or credit union is sufficiently bonded to meet the requirements as required above. Such affidavit shall be signed by an officer of the bank, savings and loan association, or credit union and shall be notarized.