(a) Every person desiring to transact the business of lending money in this State shall be required to obtain a license under this chapter; provided, however, that a person that makes not more than 5 loans within any 12-month period shall be deemed not to be transacting the business of lending money. Except as otherwise provided by law, loans made by any such unlicensed lender shall fall under Chapter 23 of Title 6. This chapter shall not apply:
(1) To any banking organization, federal credit union or insurance company; or
(2) To any other person, if and to the extent that such person is lending money in accordance with and as authorized by any other applicable law of this State or the United States, including but not limited to the registration requirements in Chapter 17 of this title.
(b) The Commissioner shall be authorized to exempt from any or all of the provisions of this chapter such persons or classes of persons, or loans or classes of loans, as the Commissioner shall find inappropriate to include within the coverage of this chapter in order to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. The Commissioner may by regulation establish procedures for application, fees and other requirements for an exemption pursuant to this subsection.
(c) A person shall not be deemed to be transacting the business of lending money within the meaning of this section solely by reason of the circumstance that such person is a participating merchant, as such term is used in this chapter.