Section 5-18-12

Promulgation of rules, regulations and orders by supervisor; furnishing of certified copies of licenses, regulations or orders.

(a) Rules, regulations, and orders. —The supervisor shall have authority to make reasonable rules, regulations, and orders for the administration and enforcement of this chapter, in addition hereto and not inconsistent herewith. The regulation or order shall be referenced to the section or sections of the chapter which set forth the legislative standard which it interprets or to which it applies. Every regulation shall be promulgated by an order, and any ruling, demand, requirement or similar administrative act may be promulgated by an order. Every order shall be in writing, shall state its effective date and the date of its promulgation and shall be entered in an indexed permanent book which shall be a public record. A copy of every order promulgating a regulation and of every other order containing a requirement of general application shall be mailed to each licensee at least 10 days before the effective date thereof. The failure of a licensee to receive a copy of the regulations shall not exempt him from the duty of compliance with the valid regulations lawfully issued.

(b) Certified copies of official documents. —On application of any person and payment of the costs thereof, the supervisor shall furnish, under his or her seal and signed by him or her or his or her deputy a certified copy of any license, regulation or order. In any court or proceeding, the copy shall be prima facie evidence of the fact of the issuance of the license, regulation or order.

(c) Standards for judicial review of rules and regulations. —As set forth in Section 5-19-21, the supervisor may promulgate reasonable rules and regulations, consistent with the laws of this state, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and issue written interpretations of consumer finance laws and regulations. The courts of this state shall apply each regulation that becomes effective and each written interpretation that is issued under this subsection, unless the regulation or interpretation is found to be arbitrary and capricious, outside the supervisor's statutory authority, or violative of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. Any licensee whose practices are consistent with any regulation or written interpretation shall not be liable for any violation of this chapter, even though the rule, or interpretation thereof, is ruled invalid for any reason by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(Acts 1959, No. 374, p. 966, §11; Acts 1996, No. 96-757, p. 1331, §1.)