How Cary Handles Soliciting & Door-to-Door: A Practical Guide
Cary maintains 106 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with soliciting & door-to-door. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Cary falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Solicitor Permits
The Town of Cary requires anyone peddling or soliciting sales door-to-door to obtain a police department permit first, unless the resident invited the visit.
Key details: Permit issuer: Cary Police Department. Permit term: 60 days, renewable. Review window: about 72 hours. Violation: criminal misdemeanor. Exemption: invited visits, charities, minors.
Peddling or soliciting without a valid permit, or otherwise violating Sec. 20-3, is a criminal misdemeanor, and the town can revoke a permit for a disqualifying arrest or conviction during the solicitation period.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Cary actively enforces its solicitor permits requirements.
No-Knock Registry
Cary confines permitted door-to-door soliciting to 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (5 p.m. in standard time) and lets any resident bar entry simply by not inviting the visit: there's no separate do-not-solicit registry.
Key details: Permitted hours (daylight): 9 a.m.-6 p.m.. Permitted hours (standard): 9 a.m.-5 p.m.. Entry without invitation: resident may refuse. Formal do-not-knock registry: none exists. Violation: criminal misdemeanor.
Soliciting outside the permitted hours, or without a permit or invitation, is a criminal misdemeanor under Sec. 20-3(j) and grounds for the police department to revoke any permit already issued.
The Bottom Line
Cary'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 Cary is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Cary can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.