Seattle residents can post No Soliciting signs that solicitors must legally respect, and trespass laws protect homeowners who ask solicitors to leave their property.
Seattle residents have the right to post No Soliciting or No Trespassing signs on their property, and solicitors are legally obligated to respect them. Under Washington trespass law (RCW 9A.52), a person who enters or remains on property after being asked to leave or in defiance of posted signs commits criminal trespass. Seattle's criminal code incorporates state trespass provisions. Religious and political canvassers are generally treated differently from commercial solicitors under First Amendment protections, but even they must leave when asked. The city does not maintain a formal do-not-knock registry. Homeowners who experience aggressive or persistent solicitation can report it to the Seattle Police Department non-emergency line. Some neighborhoods have organized community-level no-soliciting agreements.
Solicitors who ignore posted signs or refuse to leave when asked may be charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor carrying potential jail time and fines. Aggressive or intimidating solicitation behavior may result in harassment charges. Repeated violations in a neighborhood may prompt police patrols and enforcement focus.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle no-knock registry.
See how Seattle's no-knock registry rules stack up against other locations.
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