Bill 2180

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2180
Ratification Number:       60
Act Number                 34
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Auctions and auctioneers

(A34, R60, H2180)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 40-6-80, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO AUCTIONS AND AUCTIONEERS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS WHICH ALLOW THE EXEMPTING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN AUCTIONEERING BUSINESSES ON MAY 24, 1977, FROM HAVING TO BE LICENSED AS AN APPRENTICE BEFORE BEING LICENSED AS AN AUCTIONEER.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Licensing of auctioneers

SECTION 1. Section 40-6-80 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-6-80. No person must be licensed as an auctioneer unless he has held an apprentice auctioneer license and served as an apprentice auctioneer for the two preceding years and has taken an examination approved by the commission and performed on it to the satisfaction of the commission. The examination shall test the applicant's understanding of the law relating to auctioneers and auctions, ethical practices for auctioneers, the mathematics applicable to the auctioneer business, and other matters relating to auctions as the commission considers appropriate. The examination must be given at least twice each year in Columbia, and at other times and places as the commission designates, but no person is allowed to take the examination within six months after having failed it a second time.

Any person who has successfully completed the equivalent of at least eighty hours of classroom instruction in a course in auctioneering at an institution approved by the commission may be licensed as an auctioneer without holding an apprentice license and serving as an apprentice for two years. He shall take the examination required by this section and perform on it to the satisfaction of the commission.

Each applicant for an auctioneer license shall submit a written application on a form approved by the commission. If the applicant has been previously licensed as an apprentice auctioneer, the application must contain an evaluation by the applicant's supervisor of his performance as an apprentice auctioneer. If the applicant is exempted from apprenticeship because he has completed the equivalent of at least eighty hours of classroom instruction in auctioneering, the application must contain a transcript of his course work in auctioneering. Each application must be accompanied by statements of at least two residents of South Carolina attesting to the applicant's good moral character. The commission may require verification of any information included in an application for an auctioneer license."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.