(A) The registration fee for a public accounting firm shall be assessed as follows:

(1) A public accounting firm with one to four Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall pay an initial registration fee of ten dollars. The renewal fee for such firms shall be thirty dollars, plus five dollars for each office maintained by the firm.

(2) A public accounting firm with five to nine Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall pay an initial registration fee of ten dollars. The renewal fee for such firms shall be thirty dollars, plus five dollars for each office maintained by the firm.

(3) A public accounting firm with ten or more Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall pay an initial registration fee of ten dollars. The renewal fee for such firms shall be thirty dollars, plus five dollars for each additional office maintained by the firm.

(4) The board may prorate the registration fee for the purpose of administering the firm registration and peer review rules.

(B) The renewal deadlines for registration of public accounting firms are as follows:

(1) A public accounting firm that performs engagements subject to peer review must renew its firm registration by October thirty-first of the year assigned by the board to the firm for renewal. The firm must submit to the board all required firm registration renewal documentation by that date including evidence of an approved peer review not previously submitted to the board.

(2) A public accounting firm that does not perform any engagement subject to peer review, and that uses the designation "certified public accountant," the abbreviation "CPA," "public accountant," or the abbreviation "PA" must renew its firm registration by July thirty-first of the year assigned by the board to the firm for renewal. The firm must submit to the board all required firm registration renewal documentation by that date.

(C) A public accounting firm that does not comply with the requirements in paragraph (B)(1) or (B)(2) of this rule shall be considered in violation of division (A)(11) of section 4701.16 of the Revised Code and may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with division (B) of that section. In addition, the firm shall be assessed a penalty fee based upon the number of licensees in the firm. The amount of the penalty shall be determined as follows:

(1) A public accounting firm with one to four Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders, described in paragraph (A)(1) of this rule, shall pay a penalty fee of one hundred fifty dollars. The penalty fee will increase to three hundred dollars on February first of the year following the firm's registration renewal deadline.

(2) A public accounting firm with five to nine Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders, described in paragraph (A)(2) of this rule, shall pay a penalty fee of three hundred sixty dollars. The penalty fee will increase to seven hundred twenty dollars on February first of the year following the firm's registration renewal deadline.

(3) A public accounting firm with ten or more Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders, described in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule, shall pay a penalty fee of nine hundred dollars. The penalty fee will increase to one thousand eight hundred dollars on February first of the year following the firm's registration renewal deadline.

(D) Each public accounting firm in Ohio not organized as a proprietorship or general partnership shall provide written evidence satisfactory in form and substance to the board and shall provide a certification satisfactory in form and substance to the board as part of its triennial registration that it has purchased and will maintain in effect until its next registration professional liability insurance as follows:

(1) Public accounting firms with two to four partners, shareholders, members or other Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall purchase and maintain no less than two hundred fifty tousand dollars of professional liability insurance.

(2) Public accounting firms with five to nine partners, shareholders, members or other Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall purchase and maintain no less than five hundred thousand dollars of professional liability insurance.

(3) Public accounting firms with ten or more partners, shareholders, members or other Ohio permit holders or foreign certificate holders shall purchase and maintain no less than one million dollars of professional liability insurance.