Cobb County, GA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Cobb County Code §§ 78-85, 78-88
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Cobb County only
- Permit issuer
- Police Dept. Regulatory Services Unit
- No-soliciting sign
- Legally binding, bars all solicitation
- Buyer cancellation window
- Until midnight the next business day
- Complaint threshold
- 3 complaints suspends an organization's permit
- Appeal path
- License review board, then the courts
Summary
In unincorporated Cobb County, a door-to-door salesperson cannot cross the threshold without the occupant's express invitation, and a posted "no soliciting" sign bars any solicitation attempt at that address at all. Every salesperson must first register with the Police Department Regulatory Services Unit, carry a permit card, and present it before pitching. Violating the sign or entry rule triggers Code enforcement and can cost the salesperson's permit.
The door-to-door salesperson is not to enter a home except at the express invitation of the occupant. The occupant has the right to refuse entry or to ask the door-to-door salesperson to leave the premises, and, if the salesperson should fail to leave the premises after such instructions, he shall be in violation of the laws of this state and ordinances of the county. ... No door-to-door salesperson shall enter a home without the express invitation of the occupant or owner. If a "no soliciting" sign is posted, no soliciting shall be made.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Cobb County Code § 78-88 sets the hard line: "No door-to-door salesperson shall enter a home without the express invitation of the occupant or owner. " That rule sits inside a longer chain of protections at §§ 78-85 through 78-94 covering every door-to-door salesperson working the unincorporated county (Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs and Austell run their own codes). Section 78-85 gives occupants the right to refuse entry or order a salesperson off the property outright, and failing to leave after being told to is itself a violation of state and county law.
Each salesperson must carry a county-issued information card, announce his name and permit status, state the purpose of the call, and hand over the card before pitching (§§ 78-85 through 78-87); skipping the card is separately unlawful under § 78-86. A buyer who signs anything has an absolute right to cancel until midnight of the next business day by notifying the seller in person or by certified mail (§ 78-91). §§ 16-9-50 through 16-9-62, a moral-turpitude or sex-offender registration status, or an active warrant, and a denied application can't be refiled for 12 months.
The license office logs every complaint by name, address and substance (§ 78-92); a single substantiated complaint against an individual, or three against the organization he represents, triggers notice and a suspension hearing before the license supervisor within five business days.
Violations & Fines
Entering a home without invitation, soliciting past a posted no-soliciting sign, or failing to present the permit card is a violation of Chapter 78 punishable under the county's general penalty, § 1-10: a fine plus possible imprisonment and/or probation up to the maximum a Georgia magistrate court may impose under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-60, independent of any permit suspension or revocation. The license supervisor can suspend a permit on a single complaint pending a hearing; three complaints against an organization triggers the same review. A salesperson denied or suspended may appeal to the license review board under § 6-90, and from there to the courts under § 78-94.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a "no soliciting" sign actually stop door-to-door salespeople in Cobb County?
Can I make a door-to-door salesperson leave my property?
What is Cobb County supposed to do if I complain about a door-to-door salesperson?
Does this permit rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
Who can be denied a door-to-door salesperson permit in Cobb County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia soliciting & door-to-door overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.