§19-2C-5a. Examinations of applicants.

(a) Examinations shall be held a minimum of two times each year, at a time and place to be designated by the commissioner or his or her authorized representative.

(b) An individual auctioneer applicant may take the examination for auctioneer or apprentice auctioneer at the regularly scheduled time and place.

(c) The apprentice auctioneer’s examination shall consist of a written examination.

(d) The auctioneer’s examination shall consist of both a written and oral examination. The passing grade for any written or oral examination shall be 70 percent out of 100 percent. The oral portion will be scored by the commissioner or his or her authorized representative.

(e) If the applicant fails either the written or oral portion of the examination, no license will be issued and he or she may not be administered the examination again until the next regularly scheduled examination date.

 (f) Only one notice of the examination will be mailed or emailed to the applicant at the address given on the application. If the applicant fails to appear for an examination, except as provided in this subsection, a new application and a new fee shall be required. No fee will be returned, except when the applicant fails to take the examination because of illness evidenced by a doctor’s certificate sent to the commissioner. If excused because of illness, the applicant shall be admitted to the next scheduled examination without paying an additional fee. No applicant may be excused from taking the scheduled examination for any reason other than illness, unless in the judgment of the commissioner the applicant would suffer undue hardship by not being excused.

 (g) An examination fee and any other fees required by this article, shall be collected from each person taking an examination. If the applicant has previously paid the examination fee and successfully completed the apprentice auctioneer’s examination, no additional examination fee will be required to take the auctioneer’s examination.

 (h) If the commissioner determines that an applicant does not qualify for a license, he or she shall notify the applicant by certified mail. The notice shall state:

(1) The reason for the refusal to grant a license; and

(2) The applicant’s right to appeal the commissioner’s decision within 20 days of receipt of the notice.

 (i) An examination is not required for the renewal of a license, unless the license has been revoked or suspended, or has expired. If the license was revoked or suspended, then the commissioner may require a person to take and pass a written or oral examination. If a license has been expired for more than two years and was not revoked or suspended, then the applicant is required to take and pass any written and oral examinations required by the commissioner.