§ 843 — Licenses And User Permits

(a) An application for a user permit or limited permit or a license to import, manufacture, or deal in explosive materials shall be in such form and contain such information as the Attorney General shall by regulation prescribe, including the names of and appropriate identifying information regarding all employees who will be authorized by the applicant to possess explosive materials, as well as fingerprints and a photograph of each responsible person. Each applicant for a license or permit shall pay a fee to be charged as set by the Attorney General, said fee not to exceed $50 for a limited permit and $200 for any other license or permit. Each license or user permit shall be valid for not longer than 3 years from the date of issuance and each limited permit shall be valid for not longer than 1 year from the date of issuance. Each license or permit shall be renewable upon the same conditions and subject to the same restrictions as the original license or permit, and upon payment of a renewal fee not to exceed one-half of the original fee. (b) Upon the filing of a proper application and payment of the prescribed fee, and subject to the provisions of this chapter and other applicable laws, the Attorney General shall issue to such applicant the appropriate license or permit if— (1) the applicant (or, if the applicant is a corporation, partnership, or association, each responsible person with respect to the applicant) is not a person described in section 842(i); (2) the applicant has not willfully violated any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations issued hereunder; (3) the applicant has in a State premises from which he conducts or intends to conduct business; (A) verifies by inspection or, if the application is for an original limited permit or the first or second renewal of such a permit, by such other means as the Secretary 1 determines appropriate, that the applicant has a place of storage for explosive materials which meets such standards of public safety and security against theft as the Attorney General by regulations shall prescribe; and (B) subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an applicant for the renewal of a limited permit if the Secretary 1 has verified, by inspection within the preceding 3 years, the matters described in subparagraph (A) with respect to the applicant; and (5) the applicant has demonstrated and certified in writing that he is familiar with all published State laws and local ordinances relating to explosive materials for the location in which he intends to do business; (6) none of the employees of the applicant who will be authorized by the applicant to possess explosive materials is any person described in section 842(i); and (7) in the case of a limited permit, the applicant has certified in writing that the applicant will not receive explosive materials on more than 6 separate occasions during the 12-month period for which the limited permit is valid. (c) The Attorney General shall approve or deny an application within a period of 90 days for licenses and permits, beginning on the date such application is received by the Attorney General. (d) action under this subsection may be reviewed only as provided in subsection (e)(2) of this section. (1) Any person whose application is denied or whose license or permit is revoked shall receive a written notice from the Attorney General stating the specific grounds upon which such denial or revocation is based. Any notice of a revocation of a license or permit shall be given to the holder of such license or permit prior to or concurrently with the effective date of the revocation. (2) If the Attorney General denies an application for, or revokes a license, or permit, he shall, upon request by the aggrieved party, promptly hold a hearing to review his denial or revocation. In the case of a revocation, the Attorney General may upon a request of the holder stay the effective date of the revocation. A hearing under this section shall be at a location convenient to the aggrieved party. The Attorney General shall give written notice of his decision to the aggrieved party within a reasonable time after the hearing. The aggrieved party may, within sixty days after receipt of the Secretary’s 2 written decision, file a petition with the United States court of appeals for the district in which he resides or has his principal place of business for a judicial review of such denial or revocation, pursuant to sections 701–706 of title 5, United States Code. (f) Licensees and holders of user permits shall make available for inspection at all reasonable times their records kept pursuant to this chapter or the regulations issued hereunder, and licensees and permittees shall submit to the Attorney General such reports and information with respect to such records and the contents thereof as he shall by regulations prescribe. The Attorney General may enter during business hours the premises (including places of storage) of any licensee or holder of a user permit, for the purpose of inspecting or examining (1) any records or documents required to be kept by such licensee or permittee, under the provisions of this chapter or regulations issued hereunder, and (2) any explosive materials kept or stored by such licensee or permittee at such premises. Upon the request of any State or any political subdivision thereof, the Attorney General may make available to such State or any political subdivision thereof, any information which he may obtain by reason of the provisions of this chapter with respect to the identification of persons within such State or political subdivision thereof, who have purchased or received explosive materials, together with a description of such explosive materials. The Secretary 1 may inspect the places of storage for explosive materials of an applicant for a limited permit or, at the time of renewal of such permit, a holder of a limited permit, only as provided in subsection (b)(4). (g) Licenses and user permits issued under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall be kept posted and kept available for inspection on the premises covered by the license and permit. (1) If the Secretary 1 receives, from an employer, the name and other identifying information of a responsible person or an employee who will be authorized by the employer to possess explosive materials in the course of employment with the employer, the Secretary 1 shall determine whether the responsible person or employee is one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i). In making the determination, the Secretary 1 may take into account a letter or document issued under paragraph (2). (A) If the Secretary 1 determines that the responsible person or the employee is not one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i), the Secretary 1 shall notify the employer in writing or electronically of the determination and issue, to the responsible person or employee, a letter of clearance, which confirms the determination. (B) If the Secretary 1 determines that the responsible person or employee is one of the persons described in any paragraph of section 842(i), the Secretary 1 shall notify the employer in writing or electronically of the determination and issue to the responsible person or the employee, as the case may be, a document that— (i) confirms the determination; (ii) explains the grounds for the determination; (iii) provides information on how the disability may be relieved; and (iv) explains how the determination may be appealed. (1) Licensed manufacturers and licensed importers and persons who manufacture or import explosive materials or ammonium nitrate shall, when required by letter issued by the Secretary,1 furnish— (A) samples of such explosive materials or ammonium nitrate; (B) information on chemical composition of those products; and (C) any other information that the Secretary 1 determines is relevant to the identification of the explosive materials or to identification of the ammonium nitrate. (2) The Secretary 1 shall, by regulation, authorize reimbursement of the fair market value of samples furnished pursuant to this subsection, as well as the reasonable costs of shipment.