Soliciting & Door-to-Door in Acworth, GA

If you live in Acworth or are thinking about moving there, soliciting & door-to-door are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Acworth has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of soliciting & door-to-door, and some of them might surprise you.

Solicitor Permits

Anyone canvassing or soliciting orders door-to-door in Acworth must register with the city clerk before knocking on a single door. Registration lists the solicitor's identity, employer and method of operation, and the city can revoke it for violations.

Key details: Registration required with: office of the city clerk. Governing section: Code § 22-112. Registration valid for: 30 days (§ 22-114). Allowed hours Mon-Sat: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Allowed hours Sunday: 12:59 p.m. to 6:01 p.m..

Violating the registration, hours or identification-card requirements has no separate penalty listed in Article VII, so the Code's general penalty at § 1-11 applies: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months' imprisonment, up to 60 days of city labor, or a combination, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. A registrant's authorization can also be suspended by the mayor or police chief and permanently revoked by the board of aldermen after a hearing under § 22-115. Ignoring a posted 'no solicitors' sign under § 22-111 is treated as a nuisance the police department is directed to abate.

No-Knock Registry

Posting a "Solicitors, peddlers, salesmen prohibited" sign at an Acworth home makes it a nuisance for any peddler, canvasser or door-to-door seller to come onto the property anyway, and the police department is directed to abate it. Door-to-door sales are also barred outright between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekdays and most of the day on Sunday.

Key details: Posted sign: "No soliciting" notice is an enforceable nuisance. Registration: Required before door-to-door sales, § 22-112. Weekday hours barred: 8:00 p.m.-9:00 a.m.. Sunday hours allowed: Roughly 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. only. Enforcement: Police dept. must suppress and abate.

A posted-notice violation under section 22-111 is treated as a nuisance the police department must suppress and abate, independent of any fine. Section 22-115 lets the mayor or chief of police temporarily suspend a peddler's registration for violating this article, any other city ordinance, or state or federal law, with permanent revocation or reinstatement decided by the board of aldermen after a hearing. Canvassing outside the hours fixed in section 22-117, or without the registration required by section 22-112, is separately unlawful and, absent a more specific penalty, falls under the city's general penalty in section 1-11.

The Bottom Line

Acworth's soliciting & door-to-door rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Acworth is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Acworth's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.