San Mateo County, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- Unincorporated
- Signs only, no County registry
- City Registries
- Redwood City, San Carlos offer
- Legal Basis
- Penal Code §602.1
- Exempt
- Religious, political
Summary
Many San Mateo County cities (Redwood City, San Carlos, others) maintain 'Do Not Knock' registries that residents can join free of charge, and the County Sheriff requires all licensed solicitors to check the registry and respect posted No Soliciting signs before knocking. Unincorporated areas rely primarily on posted signs: a sign reading 'No Soliciting' or 'No Trespassing' on a home, gate, or driveway is legally sufficient to make subsequent solicitation a citable offense under Penal Code §602 and County Code.
602. Except as provided in subdivisions (u), (v), and (x), and Section 602.8, a person who willfully commits a trespass by any of the following acts is guilty of a misdemeanor: (a) Cutting down, destroying, or injuring any kind of wood or timber standing or growing upon the lands of another. (b) Carrying away any kind of wood or timber lying on those lands. (c) Maliciously injuring or severing from the freehold of another anything attached to it, or its produce. (d) Digging, taking, or carrying away from a lot situated within the limits of an incorporated city, without the license of the owner or legal occupant, any earth, soil, or stone. (e) Digging, taking, or carrying away from land in a
Full Breakdown
In unincorporated San Mateo County, posted 'No Soliciting' signs are the primary means of opting out of door-to-door canvassing. 1 (refusal to leave) and the County's solicitor ordinance. Licensed solicitors are required by their Sheriff-issued permit conditions to review and respect such signs; ignoring a sign is grounds for citation and permit revocation. Individual cities within the County (Redwood City, San Carlos) maintain digital Do Not Knock registries where residents can register their address; licensed solicitors must check the registry before canvassing in those jurisdictions.
The County does not currently maintain a unified countywide registry for unincorporated areas. The federal Do Not Call registry covers phone solicitation but not door-to-door. Religious, political, and true charitable canvassing remain exempt from no-soliciting sign requirements under First Amendment protections, though many courts enforce against repeated/aggressive exempt canvassers under trespass statutes.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring posted No Soliciting sign after verbal refusal: Penal Code §602.1 infraction $100-$500 and permit revocation. Second offense: misdemeanor. Trespassing after warning: Penal Code §602 misdemeanor up to 6 months jail. Licensed solicitor violation: automatic permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 'No Soliciting' sign actually have legal force?
Is there a countywide Do Not Knock list for unincorporated San Mateo County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Mateo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Mateo County to another location·View the California soliciting & door-to-door overview
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