The commissioner shall administer the provisions of this division.

purposes of regulations and orders issued under this division, the commissioner may classify persons, transactions, and other matters within his or her jurisdiction, and may prescribe different regulations or orders for different classes.

Whenever the commissioner issues an order or license under this division, he or she may impose such conditions as are in his or her opinion necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this division.

Every final order, decision, license, or other official act of the commissioner under this division is subject to judicial review in accordance with law.

In any proceeding under this division:

No provision of this division shall be construed to require by implication that the commissioner hold a hearing on any matter.

No provision of this division shall be construed to require by implication that the commissioner make written findings on any matter.

Any application filed with the commissioner under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division shall be in such form, shall contain such information, shall be signed in such manner, and shall (if the commissioner so requires by regulation or order) be verified in such manner, as the commissioner may by regulation or order require.

In determining whether to approve any application filed under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, the commissioner may consider proposals made by the applicant, including (but not limited to) proposals to appoint officers, sell securities, or obtain financing; and, if in the opinion of the commissioner it is probable that such applicant will be able to implement any such proposal, the commissioner may make findings on the basis of such proposal; provided, however, that, whenever the commissioner approves an application on

the basis, in whole or in part, of a proposal made by the applicant, the commissioner shall impose upon such approval appropriate conditions requiring that such applicant implement such proposal within such period of time as the commissioner may specify.

The commissioner may honor applications from interested persons for interpretive opinions regarding any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division.

division, or to aid in the issuing of regulations or orders under this division, and (2) publish information concerning any violation of any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division.

ordered, or to give evidence touching the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt.

The commissioner may provide information relating to a licensee to the Small Business Administration or to any governmental agency which licenses or regulates the licensee or any parent or subsidiary of the licensee.

Notwithstanding the fact that the commissioner permits any licensee, any affiliate of a licensee, or any governmental agency to inspect or make copies of any record relating to a licensee or to any director, officer, employee, or affiliate of a licensee, or that the commissioner provides any record of this type, or a copy thereof, to any person described above, any provision of Section 7922.000 of the Government Code and any provision listed in Section 7920.505 of the Government Code that would, but for that fact, apply to that record, shall continue to apply to the record.

The commissioner may refer such evidence as is available concerning any violation of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division which constitutes a crime to the district attorney of the county in which such violation occurred, who may, with or without such a reference, institute appropriate criminal proceedings.

Before any applicant for a license is issued a license, such applicant and each parent and subsidiary of such applicant shall file, and each person who becomes a parent or subsidiary of a licensee shall, not less than 30 days after becoming a parent or subsidiary of such licensee, file, with the commissioner, in such form as the commissioner may by regulation or order require, an irrevocable consent appointing the commissioner and his or her successor from time to time in office to be such person’s attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any

noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against such person, or his or her successor, executor, or administrator, which arises under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division after such consent has been filed, with the same force and validity as if served personally on such person. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process at any office of the commissioner, but such service is not effective unless (a) the party making such service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of such service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the party served at his or her last address on file with the commissioner, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed in the case on or before the return date, if any, or within such further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

Whenever any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this division or by any regulation or order issued under this division, whether or not the person has filed a consent to service of process under Section 31113, and if personal jurisdiction over the person cannot otherwise be obtained in this state, that conduct shall be considered equivalent to the person’s appointment of the commissioner and the commissioner’s successor from time to time in office to be the person’s attorney to receive service of

any lawful process in any noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against him or her, or his or her successor, executor, or administrator, which grows out of that conduct and which is brought under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, with the same force and validity as if served on him or her personally. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in any office of the commissioner, but the service is not effective unless (a) the party making the service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the party served at his or her last known address or takes other steps which are reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed in the case on or before the return date, if any, or within such further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in

the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

filing with the commissioner an application for approval for a licensee to merge with another corporation; an application for approval for a licensee to purchase all or substantially all of the business of another person, or an application for approval for a licensee to sell all or substantially all of its business or of the business of any of its offices to another licensee, shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000). However, whenever two or more applications relating to the same merger, purchase, or sale are filed with the commissioner, the fee for filing each application shall be the quotient determined by dividing one thousand dollars ($1,000) by the number of the applications.

twenty-five dollars ($25).