South Carolina § 40-39-150 - Administrative orders; penalties.

§ 40-39-150. Administrative orders; penalties.

(A) Upon finding that an action of a pawnbroker is in violation of the provisions of this chapter or of a law or regulation of this State or of the federal government or an agency of the state or federal government, the administrator may issue an administrative order requiring the pawnbroker to cease and desist from the action and may suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue a certificate of authority by order.

(B) The administrator also may issue an administrative order imposing administrative penalties of up to seven hundred fifty dollars for each offense upon persons violating any of the provisions of this chapter up to a maximum of fifteen thousand dollars for the same set of transactions or occurrences. Each violation constitutes a separate offense. In addition, a person violating the provisions of Sections 40-39-20 and 40-39-30 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding sixty days, or both.

HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 491, SECTION 2; 1991 Act No. 142, SECTION 26; 2005 Act No. 128, SECTION 11; 2016 Act No. 262 (H.4090), SECTION 14, eff June 9, 2016.

Effect of Amendment

2016 Act No. 262, SECTION 14, rewrote the section, transferring the authority to order certain equitable relief from the administrative law court to the department.