Section 661.121.3. Persons exempt.

This chapter does not apply to the following:

       121.3(1) An officer or employee of the United States, or a state, or a political subdivision of the United States or of a state while the officer or employee is engaged in the performance of official duties or an employee of a contractor or subcontractor with a federal agency while performing duties pursuant to a contract with the federal agency.

       121.3(2) A peace officer engaged in the private security business or the private investigation business with the knowledge and consent of the chief executive officer of the peace officer’s law enforcement agency.

      121.3(3) A person employed full- or part-time exclusively by one employer in connection with the affairs of the employer.

       121.3(4) An attorney licensed to practice in Iowa, while performing duties as an attorney.

       121.3(5) A person engaged exclusively in the business of obtaining and furnishing information regarding the financial rating or standing and credit of persons.

       121.3(6) A person exclusively employed in making investigations and adjustments for insurance companies. This exemption does not apply to persons who contract with a third party, such as an attorney or a broker, to conduct investigations on behalf of insurance companies. However, this exemption does apply to independent contractors who contract directly with insurance companies and exclusively conduct insurance investigative work.

       121.3(7) A person who is the legal owner of personal property which has been sold under a security agreement, or a conditional sales agreement, or a secured party under the terms of a security interest while the person is performing acts relating to the repossession of the property.

       121.3(8) A person engaged in the process of verifying the credentials of physicians and allied health professionals applying for hospital staff privileges.

       121.3(9) A person engaged in the business of retrieval and dissemination of public record information.

       121.3(10) A person engaged in the business of process service in either a criminal or civil action, where the determination of the whereabouts of the person is only incidental to the service of process.

       121.3(11) The business of repossession or recovery of property, including debt collection, where the determination of the whereabouts of the person is only incidental to the repossession or collection.

       121.3(12) A person engaged in the business of genealogical research.

       121.3(13) A person who sells, installs, maintains, repairs or monitors burglar alarm systems at protected premises or premises to be protected.

       121.3(14) Iowa Code sections 80A.2, 80A.4(1)“b,” and 80A.4(3) address the ability of peace officers to operate as private investigators and private security guards. The department interprets these three references, when read in concert, to mean the following:

        a.           An individual peace officer may conduct private investigation business or private security business with permission of the officer’s chief executive, without securing either a state license or identification card.

        b.           Two or more peace officers may form a partnership to conduct private investigation business or private security business without securing either a state license or identification card. The partnership, association, or business may employ other peace officers to conduct investigation or security functions; however, the chief executive of each partner, association member, owner, or employee must give permission to engage in the business.

        c.           A partnership owned and operated by peace officers may not employ nonpeace officers to perform investigation or security functions.

        d.           An agency licensed by the department may not have any peace officers involved in the ownership or management of the agency.

        e.           An agency licensed by the department may not employ a peace officer to do investigative or security functions.

        f.            No corporation in the private security or private investigation business is exempt from the license or identification card requirement or limitations on the employment of peace officers.

       121.3(15) A person engaged in the business of transporting prisoners under a contract with the Iowa department of corrections or a county sheriff, a similar agency from another state, or the federal government.

       121.3(16) A person engaged exclusively in the business of providing courier service and who does not wear the uniform or use a marked motor vehicle of a licensed private security agency.