Section 460-44A-505. Uniform offering exemption for limited offers and sales of securities not exceeding $5,000,000.

(1) Exemption. Offers and sales of securities by an issuer in compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, Regulation D, Rules 230.501 through 230.503; 230.505; and 230.508 as made effective in Release No. 33-6389, and as amended in Release Nos. 33-6437, 33-6663, 33-6758, 33-6825, 33-6863, 33-6949, 33-6996, and 33-8891 that satisfy the conditions in subsection (2) of this section shall be exempt transactions under RCW 21.20.320(17).

(2) Conditions to be met.

(a) General conditions. To qualify for exemption under this section, offers and sales must satisfy all the terms and conditions of WAC 460-44A-501 through 460-44A-503.

Note:	In order to comply with this section the issuer must comply with the provisions of Rule 505 (17 C.F.R. Sec. 230.505) of the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission.

(b) Specific conditions.

(i) No commission, fee, or other remuneration shall be paid or given directly or indirectly, to any person for soliciting any prospective purchaser that is not an accredited investor in the state of Washington unless such person is registered in this state as a broker-dealer or salesperson.

(ii) It is a defense to a violation of (b)(i) of this subsection if the issuer sustains the burden of proof to establish that he did not know and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known that the person who offered or sold the security was not appropriately registered in this state.

(c) In all sales to nonaccredited investors in this state under this section the issuer and any person acting on its behalf shall have reasonable grounds to believe and after making reasonable inquiry shall believe that, as to each purchaser, one of the following conditions, (i) or (ii) of this subsection, is satisfied:

(i) The investment is suitable for the purchaser upon the basis of the facts, if any, disclosed by the purchaser as to his other security holdings and as to his financial situation and needs. For the purpose of this condition only, it may be presumed that if the investment does not exceed ten percent of the purchaser's net worth, it is suitable. This presumption is rebuttable; or

(ii) The purchaser either alone or with his purchaser representative(s) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that he is or they are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment.

(d) No exemption under this rule shall be available for the securities of any issuer if any of the parties described in Securities Act of 1933, Regulation A, Rule 230.262:

(i) Has filed a registration statement which is the subject of a currently effective registration stop order entered pursuant to the Securities Act of Washington, chapter 21.20 RCW, or any other state's securities law, within five years prior to the filing of the notice required under this exemption.

(ii) Has been convicted within ten years prior to the filing of the notice required under this exemption of any felony or misdemeanor in connection with the offer, purchase or sale of any security or any felony involving fraud or deceit, including but not limited to forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretenses, larceny, or conspiracy to defraud.

(iii) Is currently subject to any state administrative enforcement order or judgment entered by the Washington state administrator of securities or any other state's securities administrator within five years prior to the filing of the notice required under this section or is subject to any state's administrative enforcement order or judgment in which fraud or deceit, including but not limited to making untrue statements of material facts and omitting to state material facts, was found and the order or judgment was entered within five years prior to the filing of the notice required under this exemption.

(iv) Is subject to an order or judgment of the Washington state administrator of securities or any other state's administrative enforcement order or judgment which prohibits, denies or revokes the use of any exemption from registration in connection with the offer, purchase or sale of securities.

(v) Is currently subject to any order, judgment, or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction temporarily or preliminarily restraining or enjoining, or is subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently restraining or enjoining, such party from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or involving the making of any filing with this or any state entered within five years prior to the filing of the notice required under this exemption.

(vi) The prohibitions of (d)(i), (ii), (iii), and (v) of this subsection shall not apply if the person subject to the disqualification is duly licensed or registered to conduct securities related business in this state and the Form B-D filed with this state discloses the order, conviction, judgment or decree relating to such person. No person disqualified under (d) of this subsection may act in a capacity other than that for which the person is licensed or registered.

(vii) Any disqualification caused by (d) of this subsection is automatically waived if the Washington state administrator of securities or the state securities administrator or other agency which created the basis for disqualification determines upon a showing of good cause that it is not necessary under the circumstances that the exemption of this section be denied.

(viii) It is a defense to a violation of this paragraph (d) if the issuer sustains the burden of proof to establish that the issuer did not know and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known that a disqualification under this paragraph existed.

(e) The issuer shall file a notice, with a consent to service of process, and pay a filing fee as set forth in WAC 460-44A-503.

(3) Transactions which are exempt under this section may not be combined with offers and sales exempt under any other rule or section of the Securities Act of Washington, however, nothing in this limitation shall act as an election. Should for any reason the offer and sale fail to comply with all of the conditions for the exemption of this section, the issuer may claim the availability of any other applicable exemption.

(4) The Washington state administrator of securities may, by rule or order, waive the conditions of this section.

(5) The exemption authorized by this section shall be known and may be cited as the "Washington uniform limited offering exemption."

[Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.450, 21.20.320 (1), (9), (17). WSR 08-16-072, § 460-44A-505, filed 7/31/08, effective 9/15/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.450. WSR 94-03-061, § 460-44A-505, filed 1/14/94, effective 2/14/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320 (1) and (16) and 21.20.450. WSR 89-17-076 (Order SDO-122-89), § 460-44A-505, filed 8/17/89, effective 9/17/89. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320(16) and 21.20.450. WSR 88-15-024 (Order SDO-71-88), § 460-44A-505, filed 7/12/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320(17) and 21.20.340(11). WSR 86-15-003 (Order SDO-80-86), § 460-44A-505, filed 7/3/86.]

RCW 21.20.450, 21.20.320 (1), (9), (17). WSR 08-16-072, § 460-44A-505, filed 7/31/08, effective 9/15/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.450. WSR 94-03-061, § 460-44A-505, filed 1/14/94, effective 2/14/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320 (1) and (16) and 21.20.450. WSR 89-17-076 (Order SDO-122-89), § 460-44A-505, filed 8/17/89, effective 9/17/89. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320(16) and 21.20.450. WSR 88-15-024 (Order SDO-71-88), § 460-44A-505, filed 7/12/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 21.20.320(17) and 21.20.340(11). WSR 86-15-003 (Order SDO-80-86), § 460-44A-505, filed 7/3/86.

Rules

460-44A-501,460-44A-503,460-44A-503,