Soliciting & Door-to-Door in Dearborn, MI

Dearborn maintains 139 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 Dearborn falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Solicitor Permits

Door-to-door commercial solicitors and canvassers in Dearborn must hold a city license before knocking on a single door. The $50.00 annual license bars soliciting between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and requires respecting posted "No Soliciting" signs.

Key details: License required: Code of Ordinances § 12-277. Annual license fee: $50.00 per § 12-6 schedule. Permitted hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. only. License term: Expires one year from application. No Soliciting signs: Must be honored under § 12-285.

The code does not set a division-specific fine for soliciting without a license or ignoring a posted "No Soliciting" sign, so both fall under the citywide general penalty in § 1-9: a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 93 days, or both, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense. The city may also seek injunctive relief or revoke the license under § 1-9(d).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Dearborn actively enforces its solicitor permits requirements.

No-Knock Registry

Dearborn has no formal no-solicitation registry -- a posted 'No Soliciting' sign or a resident's verbal refusal is what legally bars a solicitor, and citywide hours cap all door-to-door solicitation and canvassing to between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Key details: No city registry: Sign or verbal refusal is the mechanism. Valid signs: 'No Soliciting,' 'No Peddlers or Agents,' etc.. Citywide curfew: 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. banned. Applies to: Commercial and noncommercial solicitors alike. Also in commercial article: Same rule repeated at Sec. 12-285.

Ignoring a posted 'No Soliciting' sign or a resident's refusal, or soliciting outside 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., violates Sec. 12-297 and Sec. 12-298 -- punishable under the Code's general penalty of up to $500 and 93 days in jail.

The Bottom Line

Dearborn'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 Dearborn is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Dearborn's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.