(a) The certificate of "registered public accountant" shall be granted by the board to any person:

(1) Who has attained the age of 18;

(2) Who is, in the opinion of the board, of good moral character;

(3) Who meets the following requirements of education and experience:

(A) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section or subsection (c) of Code Section 43-3-14, the education requirement shall be the presentation to the board of such evidence as it may require that the applicant has received a high school diploma or completed the requirements therefor or what the board determines to be the substantial equivalent of the foregoing;

(B) The experience requirement shall be two years' continuous experience in public accountancy immediately preceding the date of application for the certificate or within a reasonable time prior to the date of such application as provided by the board by rule, provided that the board may promulgate rules stating certain circumstances which shall constitute acceptable breaks in the continuity of said experience; and provided, further, that the board may accept, in lieu of both of such years' experience in public accounting, evidence satisfactory to it of five years' continuous employment in the accounting field in industry, business, government, or college teaching; any combination of the above; or any combination of the above and practice in public accountancy immediately preceding the date of application for the certificate or what the board determines to be the equivalent thereof; and provided, further, that any person registered as a registered public accountant under the laws of this state on July 1, 1977, shall be deemed to have the experience in the practice of public accountancy required by this subparagraph; and

(4) Who shall have passed a written or oral examination, or both, in accounting, auditing, and such related subjects as the board deems appropriate.

(b) The board, in its discretion, may waive the education requirement specified in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section for any applicant if it is satisfied, from the result of a special written examination given the applicant by the board to test his educational qualification, that he is as well equipped educationally as if he met such education requirement.

(c) For the purposes of this Code section, "good moral character" means fiscal integrity and a lack of any history of acts involving dishonesty or moral turpitude. For failure to satisfy this requirement, the board may refuse to certify an applicant where it finds that there is a substantial connection between the lack of good moral character of the applicant and the professional responsibilities of a licensee and the finding by the board of a lack of good moral character is supported by clear and convincing evidence. When an applicant is found to be unqualified for a certificate because of lack of good moral character, the board shall furnish the applicant a statement containing the findings of the board and a complete listing of the evidence upon which the determination was based, and the applicant may request a hearing on that determination.