Franklin County, WA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Posted sign or verbal request to stop
- Qualifying sign language
- "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers or Agents," "No Advertisement"
- Sign placement
- Conspicuous, near the entrance
- First offense fine
- Minimum $150
- Enforcement
- Sheriff's office, litter control officer
Summary
A resident of unincorporated Franklin County can bar handbill distribution and peddling by posting a conspicuous sign at the entrance reading 'No Trespassing,' 'No Peddlers or Agents,' 'No Advertisement,' or a similar notice; anyone who ignores it is violating county code.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any handbill upon any private residence or other private property, if requested by anyone thereon not to do so, or if there is placed on such residence or property in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof, a sign bearing the words: "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers or Agents," "No Advertisement," or any similar notice, indicating in any manner that the occupants of such residence or property do not desire to be molested or have their right of privacy disturbed, or to have any such handbill left upon such premises.
Full Breakdown
160 forbids throwing, depositing or distributing any handbill on private residential or other private property once the occupant has requested that it stop, or once a sign is posted in a conspicuous position near the entrance bearing words such as 'No Trespassing,' 'No Peddlers or Agents,' 'No Advertisement,' or any similar notice indicating the occupants do not wish to be molested, have their privacy disturbed, or have handbills left on the premises. 170 covers inhabited residences that are not posted, allowing a handbill to be left only if it will not blow around and only if no one on the premises has personally objected.
020 to include any printed matter advertising a product or business, promoting an event with an admission fee, or that is predominantly an advertisement distributed for a distributor's private gain, including material for a political candidate; newspapers are excluded from the definition. 220 governs.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a posted No Trespassing/No Peddlers/No Advertisement sign under 8.16.160 falls under the chapter's general penalty in 8.16.220: a minimum $150 fine for a first offense, a minimum $250 fine for a second offense, and a minimum $500 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail for each offense after that, plus court costs and statutory attorney fees, with each continuing day treated as a separate violation. Franklin County deputy sheriffs, the sheriff, the fire warden or a litter control officer enforce under 8.16.200.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally stop peddlers and handbill distributors at my Franklin County home?
Does the no-handbill rule cover political flyers?
What if my property isn't posted but I don't want handbills?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
Compare Franklin County to another location·View the Washington soliciting & door-to-door overview
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