The applicant shall file an application for a license or renewal of a license on forms as prescribed and furnished by the commissioner, which must contain the full name of the person applying for the license and, if the applicant is a corporation, partnership, association, exchange or legal representative, officer, director, partner or member of a corporation, partnership, association or exchange, all such names and positions. If the applicant is a foreign corporation, it shall certify that it is authorized to transact business in the State under former Title 13?A, chapter 12 or Title 13?C, chapter 15, and further state the principal business address of the applicant in the State or elsewhere, the address of all places of business in the State, and the name or names of the person or persons authorized to receive and accept service of lawful process upon the applicant within the State. All questions required to be answered in the application for licenses must be sworn to, and intentionally untruthful answers constitute the crime of perjury. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD).]

Upon receipt of an initial application, the commissioner immediately shall cause notice of the application to be provided in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Maine Administrative Procedure Act as to adjudicatory proceedings and shall, in any case, cause a copy of the notice to be served upon the Maine Potato Board. Any interested person has 30 days in which to file comments as to the applicant’s qualifications, to request a hearing or to file a verified complaint with the commissioner as provided by this Article. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD).]

This applicant shall satisfy the commissioner of that applicant’s character, financial responsibility and good faith in seeking to engage in the business. The commissioner shall, after notice and opportunity for a hearing has been provided in a manner consistent with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act as to adjudicatory proceedings, issue a license to an applicant if the commissioner is satisfied as to the applicant’s qualifications, such license entitling the applicant to act in the capacity described in the license for a period of one year from the date of issuance. A license may not be granted to any applicant if such person or officer, director, partner, or member thereof, has been convicted in any state or federal court of any felony within 5 years of the date of the application. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD).]

In order to insure the licensee‘s financial responsibility and to protect potato and rotation crop producers, the commissioner shall require the licensee to file a bond as a prerequisite to the issuance of a license. The bond must be in a form and amount satisfactory to the commissioner, but not less than $50,000 nor more than $300,000 in the case of dealers and brokers engaged in buying or selling either potatoes or rotation crops, but not both, not less than $50,000 nor more than $400,000 in the case of dealers and brokers engaged in buying and selling both potatoes and rotation crops, or not less than $100,000 nor more than $500,000 in the case of processors, payable to the commissioner in the commissioner’s official capacity and conditioned on the full and prompt payment for all potatoes or rotation crops received or purchased from producers or other licensees during the effective period of the license. In the case of processors, the amount of bond required must be based on the licensee’s anticipated monthly volume of purchases, but may be adjusted to reflect other federal escrow accounts or bond requirements met by the licensee that satisfy the purposes of this section. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD).]

Each license must plainly state the name and business address or addresses of the licensee and must be posted in a conspicuous place in each office where the business is transacted. The fee for each license is $100 annually. Such license may be renewed for successive periods of one year each upon payment of the renewal fee and the submission of an application demonstrating that the applicant continues to meet the requirements for licensing, including filing proof of financial responsibility. A license or license renewal issued expires on the 30th day of June following the date of issuance. The department is not required to provide notice and opportunity for a hearing as provided in the Maine Administrative Procedure Act when granting a license renewal. If the licensee desires to carry on business in more than one place within the State, the licensee shall procure additional copies of the license, certified by the commissioner, for each place where the business is to be conducted. The fee for each such additional certification is $100. In the event a person required to be licensed under this section fails to renew that person’s license or submit the annual proof of financial responsibility, the department shall promptly provide notice to members of the potato producing industry through the Maine Potato Board and an agricultural bargaining council. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD).]

All fees collected under this Article must be paid to the Treasurer of State and credited to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for the administration of this Article and other expenses incident to the administration of the department, and must be expended by the commissioner for the purposes for which the department is created. If any of such fees are not expended during the year in which they are collected, the unexpended balance does not lapse, but must be carried as a continuing account and available for the purposes specified until expended. [PL 2005, c. 333, §1 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV).]