Section 81-18-17 - License nontransferable and nonassignable; notification to department of change in address, location, officers, etc.; department approval required for opening of branch office; notification to department of release of loan originator from employment; notification to department of change of qualifying individual of licensee(1) A license may not be transferred or assigned.(1) A license may not be transferred or assigned.(2) No licensee shall transact business under any name other than that designated in the license.(3) A licensed mortgage broker or mortgage lender shall notify the department through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry of any change in the address of its principal place of business or of any change in the address of an additional licensed branch location within thirty (30) days of the change.(4) No licensee shall open a branch office in this state or a branch office outside this state from which the licensee has direct contact with consumers regarding origination or brokering Mississippi residential property, without prior approval of the department. An application for any branch office shall be made through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry on a form prescribed by the department, which shall include at least evidence of compliance with subsection (1) of Section 81-18-25 as to that branch and shall be accompanied by payment of a nonrefundable application fee of Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) and at least one (1) loan originator application licensed at that branch office. The application shall be approved unless the department finds that the applicant has not conducted business under this chapter in accordance with law. Each branch office that currently holds a branch license shall renew that branch license before the expiration date of the main company license, on or before December 31; however, if the initial branch license is issued between November 1 and December 31, the license will expire December 31 of the following licensing year. The license renewal shall be on a form prescribed by the department with a nonrefundable renewal application fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). If the annual renewal fee remains unpaid, the license shall expire, but not before December 31 of any year for which the annual renewal fee has been paid. If the renewal fee is not paid before the expiration date of the license, the branch shall be liable for the initial license fee, which is Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00), in order to renew.(5) A licensed mortgage broker or mortgage lender shall notify the department within thirty (30) days by submitting a sponsorship removal in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry when a loan originator is released from its employment. In addition, the licensed mortgage broker or mortgage lender shall notify the department within thirty (30) days through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry when there is a change of the qualifying individual of the licensee. Laws, 2000, ch. 579, § 9; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2002, ch. 500, § 10; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2004, ch. 364, § 10; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2007, ch. 581, § 10; Laws, 2008, ch. 434, § 5; Laws, 2009, ch. 544, § 10; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2010, ch. 462, § 11; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2012, ch. 571, § 10, eff. 7/1/2012.Reenacted without change by Laws, 2020, ch. 310, SB 2427,§ 11, eff. 7/1/2020.Reenacted by Laws, 2016, ch. 360, SB 2504, 11, eff. 7/1/2016.Amended by Laws, 2013, ch. 499, SB 2696, 5, eff. 7/1/2013.