Clifton, NJ Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- Solicitation hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays only
- No-knock sticker source
- Issued free by the City Clerk
- License authority
- Clifton Police Department
- Sticker override
- Applies even to otherwise-exempt canvassers
- Max fine
- $1,250, minimum $100
Summary
Clifton residents can get a free sticker from the City Clerk declaring they don't want to be canvassed or solicited, and posting it on the property makes further solicitation there a violation. Even licensed solicitors are barred from knocking outside 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays under Chapter 189.
No canvassing or soliciting shall be done except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on each weekday. The permittee shall carry the permit with him at all times while canvassing or soliciting and shall exhibit the same to any person upon request. ... Notwithstanding any other part of this chapter, each resident of the City of Clifton may make an independent choice as to whether that resident chooses to be canvassed or solicited. ... The sticker shall be placed on the premises of the resident in a place that is visible to the public. Any person, partnership, firm or corporation that canvasses or solicits a resident that has a sticker on display shall be in violation of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963532; v64 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
on weekdays, and permit holders must carry and show their permit on request. Added by Ord. No. 6283-02 in 2002, § 189-8 lets any Clifton resident independently opt out: the City Clerk provides a sticker referencing this section that declares the resident does not wish to be canvassed or solicited, and once that sticker is displayed on the premises where the public can see it, any person, partnership, firm or corporation that canvasses or solicits that address is in violation of the chapter, regardless of any other exemption.
Religious, charitable and political activities are otherwise exempt from the licensing requirement under § 189-7, but § 189-8's no-knock sticker rule overrides even that exemption, and canvassing tied to food or beverage sales is never exempt and requires a Health Department investigation before Council approval. Permits can be revoked by the Council after notice and hearing for fraud, unlawful conduct, or breach-of-peace behavior while soliciting.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 189, including soliciting a home displaying a no-solicitation sticker, is punishable upon conviction by a fine up to $1,250, confinement up to 90 days, community service up to 90 days, or a combination, per Clifton Code § 189-9, with a $100 minimum fine and an enhanced repeat-offender fine for a second violation within one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop door-to-door solicitors in Clifton?
What hours can canvassers legally knock on doors in Clifton?
Are religious or political canvassers exempt from Clifton's no-knock sticker rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clifton
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