§ 53-9-118 — Grounds for disciplinary action.

The board may suspend or revoke a licensee's license or deny an application for a license if a person:
(1) engages in fraud or willful misrepresentation in applying for an original license or renewal of an existing license;
(2) uses any letterhead, advertising, or other printed matter in any manner representing that the licensee is an instrumentality of the federal government, a state, or any political subdivision of a state;
(3) uses a name different from that under which the licensee is currently licensed for any advertising, solicitation, or contract to secure business unless the name is an authorized fictitious name;
(4) impersonates, permits, or aids and abets an employee or independent contractor to impersonate a peace officer or employee of the United States, any state, or a political subdivision of a state;
(5) knowingly violates, advises, encourages, or assists in the violation of any statute, court order, or injunction in the course of a business regulated under this chapter;
(6) falsifies fingerprints or photographs while operating under this chapter;
(7) is convicted of a felony;
(8) is convicted of any act involving illegally using, carrying, or possessing a dangerous weapon;
(9) is convicted of any act involving moral turpitude;
(10) is convicted of any act of personal violence or force against any person or conviction of threatening to commit any act of personal violence or force against any person;
(11) solicits business for an attorney in return for compensation;
(12) is convicted of any act constituting dishonesty or fraud;
(13) is placed on probation, parole, or named in an outstanding arrest warrant;
(14) commits or permits any employee or independent contractor to commit any act during the period when the license is expired or suspended;
(15) willfully neglects to render to a client services or a report as agreed between the parties and for which the client paid or tendered compensation in accordance with the agreement of the parties unless the licensee chooses to withdraw from the case and returns the funds for work not yet completed;
(16) engages in the unauthorized release of information acquired on behalf of a client by a licensee, or the client's employee or contract agent, as a result of activities regulated under this chapter;
(17) fails to cooperate with, misrepresents to, or refuses access to business or investigative records requested by the board or an authorized representative of the bureau engaged in an official investigation in accordance with this chapter;
(18) employs or contracts with any unlicensed or improperly licensed person or agency to conduct activities regulated under this chapter if the licensure status was known or could have been ascertained by reasonable inquiry;
(19) permits, authorizes, aids, or in any way assists an employee to conduct services as described in this chapter on an independent contractor basis and not under the authority of the licensed agency;
(20) fails to maintain in full force and effect liability or workers' compensation insurance, or a surety bond, if applicable;
(21) conducts private investigation services regulated by this chapter on a revoked or suspended license;
(22) accepts employment, contracts, or in any way engages in employment that has an adverse impact on investigations being conducted on behalf of clients;
(23) advertises in a false, deceptive, or misleading manner;
(24) refuses to display the identification card issued by the bureau to any person having reasonable cause to verify the validity of the license;
(25) commits any act of unprofessional conduct;
(26) is convicted of any act of illegally obtaining or disseminating private, controlled, or protected records under Section 63G-2-801;
(27) fails to notify the bureau of a change of name or address within 60 days of the change; or
(28) engages in any other conduct prohibited by this chapter.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 359, 2025 General Session