WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

19.230.020 - Application of chapter -- Exclusions.

Application of chapter — Exclusions.

This chapter does not apply to:

     (1) The United States or a department, agency, or instrumentality thereof;

     (2) Money transmission by the United States postal service or by a contractor on behalf of the United States postal service;

     (3) A state, county, city, or a department, agency, or instrumentality thereof;

     (4) A financial institution or its subsidiaries, affiliates, and service corporations, or any office of an international banking corporation, branch of a foreign bank, or corporation organized pursuant to the Bank Service Corporation Act (12 U.S.C. Sec. 1861-1867) or a corporation organized under the Edge Act (12 U.S.C. Sec. 611-633);

     (5) Electronic funds transfer of governmental benefits for a federal, state, county, or governmental agency by a contractor on behalf of the United States or a department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or a state or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof;

     (6) A board of trade designated as a contract market under the federal Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 1-25) or a person that, in the ordinary course of business, provides clearance and settlement services for a board of trade to the extent of its operation as, or for, a board of trade;

     (7) A registered futures commission merchant under the federal commodities laws to the extent of its operation as such a merchant;

     (8) A person that provides clearance or settlement services under a registration as a clearing agency, or an exemption from that registration granted under the federal securities laws, to the extent of its operation as such a provider;

     (9) An operator of a payment system only to the extent that it provides processing, clearing, or settlement services, between or among persons who are all excluded by this section, in connection with wire transfers, credit card transactions, debit card transactions, stored-value transactions, automated clearinghouse transfers, or similar funds transfers;

     (10) A person registered as a securities broker-dealer or investment advisor under federal or state securities laws to the extent of its operation as such a broker-dealer or investment advisor;

     (11) An insurance company, title insurance company, or escrow agent to the extent that such an entity is lawfully authorized to conduct business in this state as an insurance company, title insurance company, or escrow agent and to the extent that they engage in money transmission or currency exchange as an ancillary service when conducting insurance, title insurance, or escrow activity;

     (12) The issuance, sale, use, redemption, or exchange of closed loop stored value devices or of payment instruments by a person licensed under chapter 31.45 RCW;

     (13) An attorney, to the extent that the attorney is lawfully authorized to practice law in this state and to the extent that the attorney engages in money transmission or currency exchange as an ancillary service to the practice of law; or

     (14) A stored value device seller or issuer when the funds on the device are covered by federal deposit insurance immediately upon sale or issue.

     The director may, at his or her discretion, waive applicability of the licensing provisions of this chapter when the director determines it necessary to facilitate commerce and protect consumers. The director may adopt rules to implement this section.