# RCW 18.165.020: RCW 18.165.020: Exemptions

> Washington · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S020

## Section

- **Citation:** RCW 18.165.020
- **Heading:** RCW 18.165.020: Exemptions
- **Jurisdiction:** Washington
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Washington Code / Title 18 / Chapter 165 / Section 020

## Text

The requirements of this chapter do not apply to: (1) A person who is employed exclusively or regularly by one employer and performs investigations solely in connection with the affairs of that employer, if the employer is not a private investigator agency; (2) An officer or employee of the United States or of this state or a political subdivision thereof, while engaged in the performance of the officer's official duties; (3) A person engaged exclusively in the business of obtaining and furnishing information about the financial rating of persons; (4) An attorney-at-law while performing the attorney's duties as an attorney; (5) A licensed collection agency or its employee, while acting within the scope of that person's employment and making an investigation incidental to the business of the agency; (6) Insurers, agents, and insurance brokers licensed by the state, while performing duties in connection with insurance transacted by them; (7) A bank subject to the jurisdiction of the department of financial institutions or the comptroller of currency of the United States, or a savings and loan association subject to the jurisdiction of this state or the federal home loan bank board; (8) A licensed insurance adjuster performing the adjuster's duties within the scope of the adjuster's license; (9) A secured creditor engaged in the repossession of the creditor's collateral, or a lessor engaged in the repossession of leased property in which it claims an interest; (10) A person who is a forensic scientist, accident reconstructionist, or other person who performs similar functions and does not hold himself or herself out to be an investigator in any other capacity; (11) A person solely engaged in the business of securing information about persons or property from public records; or (12) A certified public accountant regulated under chapter 18.04 RCW or the employee of a certified public accountant performing duties within the scope of public accountancy.

## Nearby sections

- [RCW 18.165.010 RCW 18.165.010: Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S010.md)
- [RCW 18.165.020 RCW 18.165.020: Exemptions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S020.md)
- [RCW 18.165.030 RCW 18.165.030: Private investigator license—Requirements.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S030.md)
- [RCW 18.165.040 RCW 18.165.040: Armed private investigator license—Requirements.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S040.md)
- [RCW 18.165.050 RCW 18.165.050: Private investigator agency license—Requirements, restrictions—Assignment or transfer.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S050.md)
- [RCW 18.165.060 RCW 18.165.060: Armed private investigator license authority—Registration of firearms.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S060.md)
- [RCW 18.165.070 RCW 18.165.070: Investigation of applicants.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S070.md)
- [RCW 18.165.080 RCW 18.165.080: License cards and certificates—Issuance and requirements.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S080.md)
- [RCW 18.165.090 RCW 18.165.090: Preassignment training and testing.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S090.md)
- [RCW 18.165.100 RCW 18.165.100: Agency license—Surety bond or certificate of insurance required.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S100.md)
- [RCW 18.165.110 RCW 18.165.110: Regulatory provisions exclusive—Authority of the state and political subdivisions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S110.md)
- [RCW 18.165.120 RCW 18.165.120: Out-of-state private investigators operating across state lines.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S120.md)
- [RCW 18.165.130 RCW 18.165.130: Required notice of certain occurrences.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S130.md)
- [RCW 18.165.140 RCW 18.165.140: Out-of-state private investigators—Application—Fee—Temporary assignment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S140.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C165_S020. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.