§8-26A-7. Suspension, revocation, or refusal to renew registration.

(a) The Secretary of State may propose to suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a registration for conduct that would have justified denial of registration under subsection (b) of Section 8-26A-6. If not appealed, the proposed action of the Secretary of State is final after 14 days.

(b) A proposed suspension, revocation, or refusal to renew a certificate of registration may be appealed to the commission in accordance with the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act. The following rules apply to an appeal under this subsection.

(1) In the event that proper notice of appeal is given to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State shall forward the file to the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Central Panel of Administrative Law Judges in the office of the Attorney General, along with a request that an administrative law judge be assigned to conduct the hearing of the requested appeal.

(2) The administrative law judge designated to hear the appeal shall proceed to give notice of the hearing under the Administrative Procedure Act. The administrative law judge shall conduct the hearing and provide the commission with proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a recommendation.

(3) Upon receipt of the report of the administrative law judge along with the file and record of the appeal, the commission may adopt, alter, or reject the proposed findings of the administrative law judge and issue the final order.

(4) The final order of the commission may be appealed to the circuit court under the terms and standards set out in the Administrative Procedure Act.

(5) Costs incurred by the state for any appeal to the commission shall be paid by the Secretary of State from monies appropriated for the implementation of this chapter.

(Act 2001-701, p. 1494, §1.)