(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person who serves legal process for a fee in the state of Washington shall:

(a) Be eighteen years of age or older;

(b) Be a resident of the state of Washington; and

(c) Register as a process server with the auditor of the county in which the process server resides or operates his or her principal place of business.

(2) The requirements under subsection (1)(b) and (c) of this section do not apply to any of the following persons:

(a) A sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, constable, or government employee who is acting in the course of employment;

(b) An attorney or the attorney's employees, who are not serving process on a fee basis;

(c) A person who is court appointed to serve the court's process;

(d) A person who does not receive a fee or wage for serving process;

(e) A private investigator licensed under chapter 18.165 RCW.