Merced, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 5.08.930
- Trigger
- Posted 'No Peddlers' or 'No Solicitors' sign
- Covers
- Doorbells, knocking, and place-of-business entries
- No separate registry
- Enforcement runs through the posted sign only
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to $1,000 fine or 1 year jail
- License risk
- Can trigger revocation under Sec. 5.08.910
Summary
Merced makes it unlawful for any solicitor to ring a doorbell, knock, or otherwise call attention to their presence at a home or business that displays a 'No Peddlers' or 'No Solicitors' sign in plain public view, under Municipal Code Section 5.08.930. The same rule reaches solicitation attempts inside any building where such a sign is posted at the entrance.
It is unlawful for any person described in Section 5.08.800 of this chapter to perform or attempt to perform the acts described in such section by ringing the doorbell or mocking at the door or otherwise calling attention to his presence of or at any residence whereon a sign bearing the words "No Peddlers", "No Solicitors" or words of similar import is painted or affixed so as to be exposed to public view, and no such person, described in Section 5.08.800 shall perform or attempt to perform any of the acts described in such section in any building, structure or place of business whereon or wherein a sign bearing the words "No Peddlers", "No Solicitors" or words of similar import, is painted or affixed so as to be exposed to public view.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
800, meaning any licensed solicitor who goes house to house or place to place selling goods, taking orders, or offering services, to ring a doorbell, knock at the door, or otherwise call attention to their presence at any residence displaying a sign reading 'No Peddlers,' 'No Solicitors,' or words of similar import that is painted or affixed so as to be visible to the public. The same prohibition extends to any building, structure, or place of business posting such a sign; a solicitor may not attempt to solicit inside a business that has posted the notice at its entrance either.
900, which already bar loitering on private property without the owner's consent and require solicitors to identify themselves on request. 800, the sign rule applies specifically to conduct within that definition: door-to-door selling or order-taking for goods, wares, merchandise, or services for present or future delivery.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 5.08.930 is enforced like any other violation of the Merced Municipal Code: Section 1.12.010 makes it a misdemeanor to violate any code provision unless the ordinance specifically designates it an infraction, and Section 1.12.020 sets the penalty at up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both. A solicitor cited for ignoring a posted sign also risks license revocation under Section 5.08.910, since disregarding a 'No Peddlers' notice is a violation of this chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop solicitors from knocking on my Merced door?
Does the no-soliciting sign rule apply to businesses too?
What happens to a solicitor who ignores a posted sign in Merced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
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