(A) The director or his designee may place on probation, revoke, or suspend a producer‘s license after ten days’ notice or refuse to issue or reissue a license when it appears that a producer has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, has violated this title or any regulation promulgated by the department, or has wilfully deceived or dealt unjustly with the citizens of this State.

(B) For purposes of this section, "convicted" includes a plea of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere, and the record of conviction, or a copy of it, certified by the clerk of court or by the judge in whose court the conviction occurred is conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(C) The words "deceived or dealt unjustly with the citizens of this State" include, but are not limited to, action or inaction by the producer as follows:

(1) providing incorrect, misleading, incomplete, or materially untrue information in the license application;

(2) violating insurance laws, or violating any regulation, subpoena, or order of the director or of another state’s director or his designee;

(3) obtaining or attempting to obtain a license through misrepresentation or fraud;

(4) improperly withholding, misappropriating, or converting any monies or properties received in the course of doing insurance business;

(5) intentionally misrepresenting the terms of an actual or proposed insurance contract or application for insurance;

(6) having been convicted of a felony;

(7) having admitted or been found to have committed any insurance unfair trade practice or fraud;

(8) using fraudulent, coercive, or dishonest practices, or demonstrating incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility in the conduct of business in this State or elsewhere;

(9) having an insurance producer license, or its equivalent, denied, suspended, or revoked in another state, province, district, or territory;

(10) forging another’s name to an application for insurance or to any document related to an insurance transaction;

(11) improperly using notes or any other reference material to complete an examination for an insurance license;

(12) knowingly accepting insurance business from an individual who is not licensed;

(13) failing to comply with an administrative or court order imposing a child support obligation; or

(14) failing to pay state income tax or comply with any administrative or court order directing payment of state income tax.

(D) If upon investigation the director or his designee finds that a producer has obtained a license by fraud or misrepresentation, he may suspend immediately the license. The director or his designee, in an order suspending a license, shall specify the period during which the suspension is to be in effect. The period may not exceed two years. A licensee whose license has been revoked or an applicant who has been refused a license by the director or his designee may not reapply for another license until a two-year period of time has lapsed from the effective date of the revocation or refusal or, if judicial review before the Administrative Law Court of the revocation or refusal is sought, after two years from the date of a final court order or decree affirming the revocation or suspension.

(E) If, after notice of a hearing before the Administrative Law Court or notice of an opportunity for hearing before the Administrative Law Court, the director or his designee finds that one or more grounds exist for the revocation or suspension of, or the refusal to issue or reissue a license, the director or his designee, in his discretion, instead of revocation, suspension, or refusal, may impose upon the producer or applicant an administrative penalty as provided in § 38-2-10 for each offense or ground.

(F) The director or his designee may allow the producer or applicant a reasonable period, not to exceed thirty days, within which to pay to the director or his designee the amount of the penalty imposed. If the producer or applicant fails to pay the penalty in its entirety to the director or his designee at his office in Columbia within the period allowed, the license or application stands revoked, suspended, or renewal refused, as the case may be, upon expiration of the period and without any further proceedings.

(G) Whenever the director or his designee nonrenews or denies an application for a license, the director or his designee shall notify the applicant or licensee and advise, in writing, the applicant or licensee of the reason for the denial or nonrenewal of the applicant’s or licensee’s license. The applicant or licensee may make written demand upon the Administrative Law Judge within thirty days for a hearing before the Administrative Law Judge to determine the reasonableness of the director or his designee’s action. The hearing must be held pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act.

(H) The license of an agency may be placed on probation, suspended, revoked or refused if the director or his designee finds, upon an investigation, that an individual licensee’s violation was known or should have been known by one or more of the partners, officers, or managers acting on behalf of the agency and the violation was neither reported to the director or his designee nor corrective action taken.

(I) In addition to or in lieu of any applicable denial, probation, suspension, or revocation of a license, a person violating this title may, after a hearing, be subject to an administrative penalty according to § 38-2-10.

(J) The director shall retain the authority to enforce the provisions of and impose any penalty or remedy authorized by this chapter and title against any person who is under investigation for or charged with a violation of this title even if the person’s license or registration has been surrendered or has lapsed by operation of law.