(a) As often as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate, the commissioner shall examine the affairs of each licensee for compliance with this division. The commissioner shall appoint suitable persons to perform the examination. The commissioner and their appointees may examine the books, records, and documents of the licensee, and may examine the licensee’s officers, directors, employees, or agents under oath regarding the licensee’s debt collection operations.
(b) The commissioner may cooperate with any agency of the state, the federal government, or other states in performing license examinations.
(c) This section does not require the commissioner to conduct examinations at the business offices of licensees. Unless an onsite examination is considered necessary for the protection of the public, the commissioner may conduct some or all examinations without a site visit to the business office of a licensee, by requesting that licensees submit required books and records to the department electronically, via a secure portal.
(d) Unless otherwise exempt pursuant to Section 100001, affiliates of a licensee are subject to examination by the commissioner on the same terms as the licensee, but only when reports from, or examination of, a licensee provides documented evidence of unlawful activity between a licensee and affiliate benefitting, affecting, or arising from the activities regulated by this division.
(e) The cost of each examination of a licensee shall be paid to the commissioner by the licensee examined, and the commissioner may maintain an action for the recovery of the cost in any court of competent jurisdiction. In determining the cost of the examination, the commissioner may use the estimated average hourly cost for all persons performing examinations of licensees or other persons subject to this division for the fiscal year.
(f) The statement of the findings of an examination shall belong to the commissioner and shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the licensee, law enforcement officials, or other state or federal regulatory agencies for further investigation and enforcement. Reports required of licensees by the commissioner under this division and results of examinations performed by the commissioner under this division are the property of the commissioner.
(g) The commissioner shall provide a written statement of the findings of the examination, issue a copy of that statement to the licensee and take appropriate steps to ensure correction of any violations of this division.
(h) Notwithstanding any provision of this division, the commissioner shall have the authority to waive one or more branch office examinations, if the commissioner deems that the branch office examinations are not necessary for the protection of the public, due to the centralized operations of the licensee or other factors acceptable to the commissioner.
(i) In any proceeding under this division, the burden of proving an exemption or an exception from a definition is upon the person claiming it.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 163, Sec. 3. (SB 908) Effective January 1, 2021. Operative January 1, 2022, pursuant to Sec. 100000.5.)