The prohibitions in Section 29520 shall not apply to the following:

(a) An account, agreement, or transaction within the exclusive regulatory jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as granted under Section 2 of Title 42 of the United States Code (Section 2(a)(1)(A) of the Commodity Exchange Act).

(b) A commodity contract for the purchase of one or more precious metals or foreign currencies which requires full payment in good funds of the purchase price and under which the purchaser receives, within 28 calendar days from the full payment in good funds of the purchase price, substitute delivery of the quantity of the precious metals or foreign currencies purchased, or a commodity contract for the purchase of one or more precious metals or foreign currencies which allows partial payment in good funds of the purchase price and under which the purchaser receives within 28 calendar days from the partial payment in good funds of the purchase price, substitute delivery of the quantity of precious metals or foreign currencies purchased by that payment; provided that, for purposes of this subdivision, substitute delivery shall be deemed to have occurred if, within the 28-day period, the quantity of precious metals or foreign currencies purchased by the full or partial payment is actually physically delivered (whether in specifically segregated or fungible bulk form) into the possession of a depository (other than the seller) which is either (1) a financial institution, (2) a depository, the warehouse receipts of which are recognized for delivery purposes for any commodity on a contract market designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, (3) a storage facility licensed or regulated by the United States or any agency thereof, or (4) a facility for the storage of precious metals or foreign currencies located within a state of the United States and operated by an armored contract carrier defined under subdivision (e), or (5) a depository designated by the commissioner. The depository (or other person which itself qualifies as a depository) enumerated in this subdivision shall issue and the purchaser shall receive a certificate, document of title, confirmation or other instrument evidencing that the quantity of precious metals has been delivered to the depository and is being and will continue to be held by the depository on the purchaser’s behalf, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, other than liens of the purchaser, tax liens, liens agreed to by the purchaser, or liens of the depository for fees and expenses, which have previously been disclosed to the purchaser.

(c) A commodity contract solely between persons engaged in producing, processing, using commercially or handling as merchants, each commodity subject thereto, or any byproduct thereof.

(d) A commodity contract under which the offeree or the purchaser is a person referred to in Section 29530, an insurance company, or an investment company as defined in Section 80a-3 of Title 15 of the United States Code (Section 3 of Title I of the federal Investment Company Act of 1940).

(e) For the purposes of this section, “armored contract carrier” means a person who: (1) is operating as a carrier transporting coin, currency, precious metals, securities, or negotiable items pursuant to a currently effective permit as a highway contract carrier and a city carrier issued by the Public Utilities Commission of this state and is also operating a facility for the storage of precious metals or foreign currencies pursuant to a commodity contract; (2) has purchased and maintains sufficient amounts of insurance coverage for all risks associated with the operation of a facility for the storage of precious metals or foreign currencies from an insurance company admitted in this state; (3) has continuously operated as a carrier under its permit and has continuously operated a facility for the storage of precious metals or foreign currencies for at least five years; (4) has a tangible net worth of at least five million dollars ($5,000,000) for each of the immediately preceding five fiscal years according to its financial statements prepared on an individual company basis, or on a combining or consolidating basis with any affiliates, which financial statements have been audited by an independent certified public accountant; and (5) provides the following disclosure to a purchaser in 10-point boldface type with the certificate, document of title, confirmation, or other instrument evidencing that the purchased quantity of precious metals or foreign currencies has been delivered to or is on deposit with the storage facility: “(Name of carrier) is not licensed, regulated, or supervised as a depository or storage facility by the United States Government or the State of California.”

(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 262, Sec. 5.)