(a) Authority. 12 U.S.C. 1-42 and 2901-2907.

(b) Licensing requirements. A national bank shall submit an application and obtain prior OCC approval in order to establish or relocate a branch.

(c) Scope—

(1) In general. This section describes the procedures and standards governing OCC review and approval of an application by a national bank to establish a new branch or to relocate a branch.

(2) Branch established through a conversion or business combination. The standards of this section governing review and approval of applications by the OCC and, as applicable, 12 U.S.C. 36(b), but not the application procedures set forth in this section, apply to branches acquired or retained in a conversion approved under 12 CFR 5.24 or a business combination approved under §5.33. A branch acquired or retained in a conversion or business combination is subject to the application procedures set forth in §§5.24 or 5.33.

(d) Definitions—

(1) Branch includes any branch bank, branch office, branch agency, additional office, or any branch place of business established by a national bank in the United States or its territories at which deposits are received, checks paid, or money lent.

(i) A branch established by a national bank includes a mobile facility, temporary facility, intermittent facility, drop box or a seasonal agency as described in 12 U.S.C. 36(c).

(ii) A facility otherwise described in this paragraph (d)(1) is not a branch if:

(A) The bank establishing the facility does not permit members of the public to have physical access to the facility for purposes of making deposits, paying checks, or borrowing money (e.g., an office established by the bank that receives deposits only through the mail); or

(B) It is located at the site of, or is an extension of, an approved main office or branch office of the national bank. The OCC determines whether a facility is an extension of an existing main office or branch office on a case-by-case basis. For this purpose, the OCC will consider a drive-in or pedestrian facility located within 500 feet of a public entrance to an existing main office or branch office to be an extension of the existing main office or branch office, provided the functions performed at the drive-in or pedestrian facility are limited to functions that are ordinarily performed at a teller window.

(iii) A branch does not include an automated teller machine (ATM), a remote service unit (such as an automated loan machine or personal computer used in providing financial services), a loan production office, a deposit production office, a trust office, an administrative office, a data processing office, or any other office that does not engage in any of the activities in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

(2) Home state means the state in which the national bank's main office is located.

(3) Intermittent branch means a branch that is operated by a national bank for one or more limited periods of time to provide branch banking services at a specified recurring event, on the grounds or premises where the event is held or at a fixed site adjacent to the grounds or premises where the event is held, and exclusively during the occurrence of the event. Examples of an intermittent branch include the operation of a branch on the campus of, or at a fixed site adjacent to the campus of, a specific college during school registration periods; or the operation of a branch during a state fair on state fairgrounds or at a fixed site adjacent to the fairgrounds.

(4) Messenger service has the meaning set forth in 12 CFR 7.1012.

(5) Mobile branch is a branch of a national bank, other than a messenger service branch, that does not have a single, permanent site, and includes a vehicle that travels to various public locations to enable customers to conduct their banking business. A mobile branch may provide services at various regularly scheduled locations or it may be open at irregular times and locations such as at county fairs, sporting events, or school registration periods. A branch license is needed for each mobile unit.

(6) Temporary branch means a branch of a national bank that is located at a fixed site and which, from the time of its opening, is scheduled to, and will, permanently close no later than a certain date (not longer than one year after the branch is first opened) specified in the branch application and the public notice.

(e) Policy. In determining whether to approve an application to establish or relocate a branch, the OCC is guided by the following principles:

(1) Maintaining a safe and sound banking system;

(2) Encouraging a national bank to provide fair access to financial services by helping to meet the credit needs of its entire community;

(3) Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations; and

(4) Promoting fair treatment of customers including efficiency and better service.

(f) Procedures—

(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2) of this section, each national bank proposing to establish a branch shall submit to the appropriate OCC licensing office a separate application for each proposed branch.

(2) Messenger services. A national bank may request approval, through a single application, for multiple messenger services to serve the same general geographic area. (See 12 CFR 7.1012). Unless otherwise required by law, the bank need not list the specific locations to be served.

(3) Jointly established branches. If a national bank proposes to establish a branch jointly with one or more national banks or other depository institutions, only one of the national banks must submit a branch application. The national bank submitting the application may act as agent for all national banks in the group of depository institutions proposing to share the branch. The application must include the name and main office address of each national bank in the group.

(4) Intermittent branches. Prior to operating an intermittent branch, a national bank shall file a branch application and publish notice in accordance with §5.8, both of which shall identify the event at which the branch will be operated; designate a location for operation of the branch which shall be on the grounds or premises at which the event is held or on a fixed site adjacent to those grounds or premises; and specify the approximate time period during which the event will be held and during which the branch will operate, including whether operation of the branch will be on an annual or otherwise recurring basis. If the branch is approved, then the bank need not obtain approval each time it seeks to operate the branch in accordance with the original application and approval.

(5) Authorization. The OCC authorizes operation of the branch when all requirements and conditions for opening are satisfied.

(6) Expedited review. An application submitted by an eligible bank to establish or relocate a branch is deemed approved by the OCC as of the 15th day after the close of the applicable public comment period or the 45th day after the filing is received by the OCC (or in the case of a short-distance relocation the 30th day after the filing is received by the OCC), whichever is later, unless the OCC notifies the bank prior to that date that the filing is not eligible for expedited review, or the expedited review process is extended, under §5.13(a)(2). An application to establish or relocate more than one branch is deemed approved by the OCC as of the 15th day after the close of the last public comment period.

(g) Interstate branches. A national bank that seeks to establish and operate a de novo branch in any state other than the bank's home state or a state in which the bank already has a branch shall satisfy the standards and requirements of 12 U.S.C. 36(g).

(h) Exceptions to rules of general applicability.

(1) A national bank filing an application for a mobile branch or messenger service branch shall publish a public notice, as described in §5.8, in the communities in which the bank proposes to engage in business.

(2) The comment period on an application to engage in a short-distance relocation is 15 days.

(3) The OCC may waive or reduce the public notice and comment period, as appropriate, with respect to an application to establish a branch to restore banking services to a community affected by a disaster or to temporarily replace banking facilities where, because of an emergency, the bank cannot provide services or must curtail banking services.

(4) The OCC may waive or reduce the public notice and comment period, as appropriate, for an application by a national bank with a CRA rating of Satisfactory or better to establish a temporary branch which, if it were established by a state bank to operate in the manner proposed, would be permissible under state law without state approval.

(i) Expiration of approval. Approval expires if a branch has not commenced business within 18 months after the date of approval unless the OCC grants an extension.

(j) Branch closings. A national bank shall comply with the requirements of 12 U.S.C. 1831r-1 with respect to procedures for branch closings.

[80 FR 28435, May 18, 2015]