Salinas, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: No-Knock Registry (2026)

The city council adopted Chapter 24 after finding that unsolicited door-to-door solicitation "jeopardizes the right of residents...to enjoy the privacy of their homes in tranquility and security" and creates litter, fraud and safety risks, per the findings in Sec. 24-1. "Solicitor" is defined broadly in Sec. 24-2 to cover anyone requesting money, goods, or other value on their own behalf or another's, whether the request is made in person, by mail, phone, or broadcast.

Sec. 24-3 sets the no-knock rule at the center of the ordinance: no one may solicit at a residence or business displaying a "No Solicitors," "No Peddlers," or similar sign unless the owner, lessee, agent or occupant has expressly given permission. Even without a posted sign, a solicitor must stop as soon as the resident says they don't want to contribute, may not block a person's or vehicle's free movement, and must leave immediately if the owner or occupant asks. The same sign rule extends to handbills: no one may distribute or leave printed material at a residence or business posting a "No Handbills" sign without permission, under Sec. 24-3(f).

Sec. 24-5 layers on a citywide curfew: no solicitor may ring a bell, knock, or attempt to gain entrance to any residence after 9:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m., regardless of whether a sign is posted. Sec. 24-7 makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor, and treats each act of solicitation as a separate offense, so repeated late-night knocking or ignoring a posted sign can produce multiple charges.