Peoria's Soliciting & Door-to-Door: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles soliciting & door-to-door a little differently. In Peoria, Illinois, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Solicitor Permits

Anyone going door-to-door in Peoria to sell goods or take orders needs a peddler's license from the city comptroller, per Code Sec. 18-376. The license costs $60 a year, applicants younger than 14 or with certain violent, sex, or firearm felony convictions from the last five years are turned down under Sec. 18-379, and peddling is barred outside the 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. window.

Key details: License issued by: City comptroller (Sec. 18-376). Annual fee: $60 (Sec. 18-378). Minimum age: 14 years old (Sec. 18-379(1)). Permitted hours: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (Sec. 18-357(b)). School/playground buffer: 200 feet during activities (Sec. 18-357(c)).

Peddling without a license, or breaking any Article IX rule, is grounds for the city manager to deny, suspend for up to 30 days, or revoke a peddler's license after at least ten days' written notice and a hearing, per Sec. 18-381. The licensee may present evidence and cross-examine witnesses at that hearing before the city manager's decision becomes final.

No-Knock Registry

Peoria residents and homeowner associations can block door-to-door peddling outright. Posting a weatherproof 'No Peddlers Allowed' card at the entrance bars a peddler from that address under Code Sec. 18-357(e), and a subdivision can file a 'No Peddlers Allowed' request with the city comptroller and post a matching sign to bar peddlers from the whole subdivision under Sec. 18-357(i).

Key details: Individual opt-out sign size: 3 in. by 4 in. minimum (Sec. 18-357(e)). Sign lettering height: At least 1/3 inch (Sec. 18-357(e)). Subdivision opt-out filed with: City comptroller (Sec. 18-357(i)). Subdivision sign wording: "NO PEDDLERS ALLOWED IN THIS SUBDIVISION". Who can request subdivision opt-out: HOA or majority of owners (Sec. 18-357(i)).

A peddler who ignores a posted 'No Peddlers Allowed' sign, or who continues after being told to leave, violates Sec. 18-357 and exposes their license to suspension for up to 30 days or revocation by the city manager under Sec. 18-381, following at least ten days' written notice and a hearing at which the peddler may present evidence.

The rules around no-knock registry in Peoria lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Peoria'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 Peoria is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Peoria's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.