(1) Any individual who is an “officer” as defined in s. 943.10(14) or is a law enforcement officer of the United States Government, while such local, state, or federal officer is engaged in her or his official duties or when performing off-duty security activities approved by her or his superiors.

(2) Any insurance investigator or adjuster licensed by a state or federal licensing authority when such person is providing services or expert advice within the scope of her or his license.

(3) Any individual solely, exclusively, and regularly employed as an unarmed investigator in connection with the business of her or his employer, when there exists an employer-employee relationship.

(4) Any unarmed individual engaged in security services who is employed exclusively to work on the premises of her or his employer, or in connection with the business of her or his employer, when there exists an employer-employee relationship.

(5) Any person or bureau whose business is exclusively the furnishing of information concerning the business and financial standing and credit responsibility of persons or the financial habits and financial responsibility of applicants for insurance, indemnity bonds, or commercial credit.

(6) Any attorney in the regular practice of her or his profession.

(7) Any bank or bank holding company, credit union, or small loan company operating pursuant to chapters 516 and 520; any consumer credit reporting agency regulated under 15 U.S.C. ss. 1681 et seq.; or any collection agency not engaged in repossessions or to any permanent employee thereof.

(8) Any person who holds a professional license under the laws of this state when such person is providing services or expert advice in the profession or occupation in which that person is so licensed.

(9) Any security agency or private investigative agency, and employees thereof, performing contractual security or investigative services solely and exclusively for any agency of the United States.

(10) Any person duly authorized by the laws of this state to operate a central burglar or fire alarm business. However, such persons are not exempt to the extent they perform services requiring licensure or registration under this chapter.

(11) Any person or company retained by a food service establishment to independently evaluate the food service establishment including quality of food, service, and facility. However, such persons are not exempt to the extent they investigate or are retained to investigate criminal or suspected criminal behavior on the part of the food service establishment employees.

(12) Any person who is a school crossing guard employed by a third party hired by a city or county and trained in accordance with s. 316.75.

(13) Any individual employed as a security officer by a church or ecclesiastical or denominational organization having an established physical place of worship in this state at which nonprofit religious services and activities are regularly conducted or by a church cemetery to provide security on the property of the organization or cemetery, and who does not carry a firearm in the course of her or his duties.

(14) Any person or firm that solely and exclusively conducts genealogical research, or otherwise traces lineage or ancestry, by primarily utilizing public records and historical information and databases.

(15) Any licensed Florida-certified public accountant who is acting within the scope of the practice of public accounting as defined in chapter 473.

History.—ss. 2, 11, ch. 90-364; s. 16, ch. 91-248; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 2, ch. 94-172; s. 6, ch. 96-407; s. 1138, ch. 97-103; s. 69, ch. 97-190; s. 2, ch. 97-248; s. 35, ch. 2001-36; s. 2, ch. 2005-143; s. 23, ch. 2006-312.