Cary, NC Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- 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
Summary
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.
Such peddling/soliciting shall be permitted only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during eastern daylight time and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during eastern standard time.
(2) The peddler/solicitor permit issued for that person shall be carried and displayed at all times while conducting such solicitations in such a manner as to be clearly visible to a reasonable person of adequate vision.
(3) All other permits or licenses required by law shall have been obtained.
(c) Permit applications. Applications for peddler/solicitor permits under this section shall be submitted to the police department during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time) on a form provided by the police department, under oath, and shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) The full name of the applicant;
(2) The permanent residence address of the applicant;
(3) The applicant's temporary address in or in the vicinity of the town, if applicable;
(4) The name and address of the applicant's employer or the organization with which the applicant is associated in connection with the sale activity or solicitation of orders;
(5) The type(s) of goods, wares, merchandise, food, periodicals and services to be sold or offered for sale;
(6) The period for which the application is sought, which shall not exceed 60 consecutive calendar days; provided that the permit may be renewed for
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 20-3(b)(1) limits permitted peddling and soliciting to the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during daylight time, or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during standard time; going door-to-door outside those hours is unlawful regardless of permit status. The same section already conditions any unpermitted visit on 'the prior request or invitation of the residents or occupants,' so a resident who hasn't invited a solicitor can simply decline entry. Cary maintains no separate formal do-not-knock or no-solicitation registry, the hours limit and the invitation requirement are the town's only tools.
Violations & Fines
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can solicitors knock on doors in Cary?
Does Cary have a do-not-solicit list residents can join?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
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