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DeKalb County, GA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Solicitation curfew
9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. banned
Group size limit
Max 2 solicitors per premises at once
Repeat-call limit
One call per premises every 2 weeks
Permit revocation
Automatic on felony/violent misdemeanor conviction
Appeal path
Appeal under Section 15-47 procedure
General penalty
Up to $1,000 fine or 120 days jail

Summary

Unincorporated DeKalb County requires a solicitor's permit for door-to-door sales and bans the activity between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Groups are capped at two solicitors per premises, repeat calls within two weeks are barred, and a qualifying criminal conviction automatically revokes the permit. Cities inside the county enforce their own separate peddler rules.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of DeKalb County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

In this article "solicitor" includes any person who solicits orders door-to-door or house-to-house on behalf of a business, individual, vocation or occupation. ... It is unlawful for any person to engage in any of the conduct for which a permit is required by this article between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., according to the standard time in effect. ... It is unlawful for more than two (2) individuals to engage in solicitation upon any premises at the same time for the same goods or services, or religious or charitable purposes. ... The permit of any solicitor who is convicted of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or violence, shall be deemed revoked from the time of such conviction. ... A person to whom the county refuses to issue a solicitor's permit or whose solicitor's permit is suspended or revoked may appeal pursuant to section 15-47.

Source: Municode LibraryView official code

Full Breakdown

DeKalb County Code Article VII of Chapter 15 regulates door-to-door and house-to-house solicitation in the unincorporated area only; residents of Decatur, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Tucker, Stonecrest, Chamblee, Doraville, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain and the small DeKalb sliver of Atlanta fall under their own city code instead. Section 15-216 defines a "solicitor" as anyone who solicits orders door-to-door on behalf of a business, individual, vocation or occupation. standard time. Section 15-220 caps group solicitation at two individuals on any premises at once for the same goods, services, or religious or charitable cause, treating each member of a larger group as a separate violator.

Section 15-222 forbids a second sales call at the same address for identical goods or services within any two-week period without a prior invitation, and Section 15-223 requires solicitors to approach only the main entrance of a residence. Charitable and nonprofit representatives can be exempted under Section 15-217 once their organization files proof of tax-exempt or registered status with the police department and issues each canvasser a confirmation letter. Section 15-247 bars a permit for anyone found guilty of a violent or moral-turpitude misdemeanor within five years, or of a felony absent a pardon or five conviction-free years; an arrest or indictment on a qualifying charge automatically suspends an existing permit and a conviction automatically revokes it.

A revoked or suspended solicitor must surrender the permit card to the police department within three business days under Section 15-248, and Section 15-249 allows appeal of a denial, suspension or revocation under the county's Section 15-47 procedure.

Violations & Fines

Soliciting outside the 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. window, working a premises with more than two solicitors, calling the same address twice within two weeks without invitation, or acting as a solicitor after suspension or revocation are each Code violations. Chapter 15 sets no separate fine, so DeKalb's general penalty in Section 1-10 applies: up to $1,000 and 120 days in jail per offense when personally served, or up to $500 when served by posting and mail, with each continuing day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this curfew apply inside Decatur or Brookhaven?
No. Chapter 15, Article VII of the county code governs the unincorporated area only. Decatur, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Tucker, Stonecrest and DeKalb's other cities each enforce their own peddler ordinance, so a solicitor working inside those city limits needs that city's permit instead of the county's.
Can a solicitor come back the next week after I said no?
Not for the same goods or services. Section 15-222 bars a second call at the same address within any two-week period unless the occupant invited it. A repeat unwanted call inside that window is itself a Code violation the county can cite the solicitor for.
Can someone with a criminal record get a solicitor's permit?
Not if they were found guilty of a violent or moral-turpitude misdemeanor within the past five years, or of a felony, unless pardoned or five conviction-free years have passed under Section 15-247(a). A new qualifying arrest or charge suspends an existing permit immediately under Section 15-247(b).
What if the county denies or revokes my solicitor's permit?
Section 15-249 lets you appeal a denial, suspension or revocation using the procedure in Section 15-47. Suspensions and revocations take effect automatically by operation of law the moment a qualifying arrest, charge or conviction occurs, whether or not the county formally notifies the solicitor.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in DeKalb County

All DeKalb County rules

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