(240 ILCS 40/5-25)

Sec. 5-25. Licensing standards and requirements. The Department shall issue, amend, or renew a license if the Department is satisfied that the applicant or licensee meets the standards and requirements of this Section. The standards and requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section must be observed and complied with at all times during the term of the license.

(a) General requirements.

(1) The applicant or licensee must have a good business reputation, have not been involved in improper manipulation of books and records or other improper business practices, and have the qualifications and background essential for the conduct of the business of a licensee. The Department must be satisfied as to the business reputation, background, and qualifications of the management and principal officers of the applicant or licensee. The Department may obtain criminal histories of management and principal officers of the applicant or licensee.

(2) The applicant or licensee must maintain a permanent business location in the State of Illinois. Each location where the licensee is transacting business shall remain open from at least one-half hour before the daily opening to at least one-half hour after the daily closing of the Chicago Board of Trade, unless otherwise approved by the Department.

(3) The applicant or licensee must have insurance on all grain in its possession or custody as required in this Code.

(4) The applicant or licensee shall at all times keep sufficiently detailed books and records to reflect compliance with all requirements of this Code. The Department may require that certain records located outside the State of Illinois, if any, be brought to a specified location in Illinois for review by the Department.

(5) The applicant or licensee and each of its officers, directors, partners, and managers must not have been found guilty of a criminal violation of this Code, any of its predecessor statutes, or any similar or related statute or law of the United States or any other state or jurisdiction within 10 years of the date of application for the issuance or renewal of a license.

(6) The applicant or licensee and each of its officers, directors, managers, and partners, that at any one time have been a licensee under this Code or any of its predecessor statutes, or licensed under any similar or related statute or law of the United States or any other state or jurisdiction, must not have had its license terminated or revoked by the Department, by the United States, or by any other state or jurisdiction, within 2 years of the date of application for the issuance or renewal of a license leaving unsatisfied indebtedness to claimants.

(7) The applicant or licensee and each of its officers, directors, managers, and partners must not have been an officer, director, manager, or partner of a former licensee under this Code or any of its predecessor statutes, or of a business formerly licensed under any similar or related statute or law of the United States or any other state or jurisdiction, that had its license terminated or revoked by the Department, by the United States, or by any other state or jurisdiction, within 2 years of the date of application for the issuance or renewal of a license, leaving unsatisfied indebtedness to claimants, unless the applicant or licensee makes a sufficient showing to the Department that the applicable person or related party was not materially and substantially involved as a principal in the business that had its license terminated or revoked. An interim or temporary manager that is employed by a licensee to reorganize the licensee or to manage the licensee until its business is sold, transferred, or liquidated is not in violation of this subsection (7) solely because of that employment as an interim or temporary manager.

(b) Financial requirements.

(1) The applicant or licensee's financial statement must show a current ratio of the total adjusted current assets to the total adjusted current liabilities of at least one to one.

(A) Adjusted current assets shall be calculated by deducting from the stated current assets shown on the balance sheet submitted by the applicant or licensee any current asset, as calculated in item (B) of this subdivision (1), resulting from notes receivable from related persons, accounts receivable from related persons, stock subscriptions receivable, and any other related person receivables.

(B) A disallowed current asset shall be netted against any related liability and the net result, if an asset, shall be subtracted from the current assets.

(2) The applicant or licensee's financial statement and balance sheet must show an adjusted debt to adjusted equity ratio of not more than 3 to one.

(A) Adjusted debt shall be calculated by totaling current and long-term liabilities and reducing the total liabilities, up to the amount of current liabilities, by the liquid assets appearing in the current asset section of the balance sheet submitted by the applicant or licensee. For the purposes of this Section, liquid assets include but are not limited to cash, depository accounts, direct obligations of the U.S. Government, marketable securities, grain assets, balances in margin accounts, and tax refunds.

(B) Adjusted equity shall be calculated by deducting from the stated net worth shown on the balance sheet submitted by the applicant or licensee any asset, as calculated in item (C) of this subdivision (2), resulting from notes receivable from related persons, accounts receivable from related persons, stock subscriptions receivable, or any other related person receivables.

(C) A disallowed asset shall be netted against any related liability and the net result, if an asset, shall be subtracted from the stated net worth, or if a liability it shall remain a liability.

(3) An applicant or licensee must have an adjusted equity of at least $50,000 as determined by the method specified in item (b)(2) of this Section. Beginning with the first fiscal year of a licensee ending after 2004, the adjusted equity, as defined by the method specified in item (b)(2) of this Section, shall be increased by $10,000 per fiscal year until the adjusted equity of an applicant or licensee is at least $100,000.

(4) For the purposes of this Section, notes receivable from related persons, accounts receivable from related persons, and any other related person receivables are not a disallowed asset if the related person is also a licensee and meets all of the financial requirements of this Code.

(5) An applicant for a new license shall not be permitted to collateralize the requirements of items (b)(1) and (b)(3) of this Section in order to satisfy the requirements for a new license.

(Source: P.A. 93-225, eff. 7-21-03.)