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

Every city handles soliciting & door-to-door a little differently. In Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 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

Wauwatosa requires door-to-door peddlers, solicitors and transient merchants, called 'direct sellers,' to register with the police department, pay an annual fee, submit to a background check, and carry that registration before selling or taking orders anywhere in the city.

Key details: Governing chapter: Wauwatosa Municipal Code Ch. 6.48. Who registers: Peddlers, solicitors, transient merchants ('direct sellers'). Registered with: Wauwatosa Police Department. Issuance timeline: Within 24 hours, excluding weekends/holidays. Term: Annual, with annual renewal fee.

Section 6.48.080 subjects any person convicted of violating the chapter to the code's general penalty provisions in Chapter 1.12, which sets a forfeiture of not less than one dollar nor more than five thousand dollars for a first offense where no other penalty is specified, rising to a floor of twenty-five dollars for a repeat conviction, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.

No-Knock Registry

Wauwatosa bars registered direct sellers from calling at any home between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. without an appointment, from approaching a home posted with a 'No Peddlers' or 'No Solicitors' sign, and from soliciting at a rear door when the home has a usable front entrance.

Key details: Governing section: Wauwatosa Municipal Code § 6.48.060. Curfew: No calls 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. without an appointment. Sign rule: No calling where 'No Peddlers'/'No Solicitors' is posted. Rear-door rule: Barred if home has a usable front entrance. Disclosure: Name, affiliation, goods/services disclosed first.

Section 6.48.070 lets the common council revoke a direct seller's registration after notice and hearing for violating any provision of the chapter, including the hours and no-solicitation-sign rules in Section 6.48.060, and Section 6.48.080 additionally subjects a convicted violator to the code's general penalty provisions in Chapter 1.12, meaning a forfeiture of one to five thousand dollars for a first offense.

The Bottom Line

Wauwatosa'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 Wauwatosa is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Wauwatosa 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.