74F-16. Exemptions.

The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to:

(1) An employee of a licensed locksmith when acting under the direct control and supervision of the licensed locksmith. For purposes of this subdivision, "direct control and supervision" means that a licensed locksmith is required to physically accompany the employee to the premises where locksmith services are to be performed.

(1a) An employee of a locksmith company performing administrative duties only. For purposes of this section, "administrative duties" means managing the daily operations of an office in a locksmith company, including performing clerical tasks, answering telephones, and greeting customers.

(2) A person working as an apprentice pursuant to G.S. 74F-7.1.

(3) A person or business required to be licensed or registered by the North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board pursuant to Chapter 74D of the General Statutes, when acting within the scope and course of the alarm systems license or registration.

(4) A person or business providing any of the following services so long as the person or business does not represent himself, herself, or itself as a locksmith:

a. A towing service, or its employee, when providing services in the normal course of its business.

b. An automotive repair business, or its employee, when opening a vehicle to perform service on the vehicle.

c. A repossessing company, or its employee, while repossessing a vehicle.

d. A motor vehicle dealer as defined in G.S. 20-286(11), or a motor club as defined in G.S. 58-69-1 when opening automotive locks in the normal course of the dealer or club's business duties.

(5) A property owner, or the owner's employee, when providing locksmith services on the property owner's property, so long as the owner or employee does not represent himself or herself as a locksmith. For purposes of this section, "property" means, but is not limited to, a hotel, motel, apartment, condominium, commercial rental property, and residential rental property.

(6) A merchant, or retail or hardware store, so long as all of the following apply:

a. It is lawfully duplicating keys or installing, servicing, repairing, rebuilding, reprograming, rekeying, or maintaining locks in the normal course of its business.

b. It maintains a physical location in this State.

c. It maintains a sales and use tax permit in accordance with G.S. 105-164.16.

d. It does not represent itself as a locksmith.

(7) A member of a law enforcement agency, fire department, or other government agency who, when acting within the scope and course of the member's employment with the agency or department, opens locked doors to vehicles, homes, or businesses.

(8) A salesperson while demonstrating the use of locksmith tools to persons licensed under this Chapter.

(9) A general contractor licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes when acting within the scope and course of the general contractor license, or an agent or subcontractor of a licensed general contractor when acting within the ordinary course of business.

(10) A person or business when lawfully installing or maintaining a safety lock device on a wastewater system when the safety lock device is required by permit or requested by the owner of the wastewater system, provided the person or business does not represent itself as a locksmith. For purposes of this subdivision, "wastewater system" has the same meaning as in G.S. 130A-334.

(11) Any person or firm that sells gun safes or locking devices for firearms during the course of the sale of gun safes or locking devices for firearms, so long as the person or firm, or the firm's employee, does not represent himself, herself, or itself as a locksmith.

(12) A person while performing a locksmith service in an emergency situation without receiving any compensation for this service and who does not advertise those services.