Albany, NY Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $200 per year
- Issuing authority
- City Clerk
- Background check
- fingerprints via state DCJS
- No-vending hours
- 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- Max penalty
- $350 fine or 15 days jail
Summary
Door-to-door vendors in Albany must get a City Clerk license before knocking on doors, including fingerprinting and a background check, and must honor posted no-vendor notices.
No door-to-door vendor shall enter any house, building or premises where there is posted on the front of the house, building or premises a written notice stating that vendors are not desired, unless the vendor has received the prior consent of the occupant... Any person desiring to act as a door-to-door vendor in the City of Albany shall first obtain a license to vend door-to-door in accordance with the following provisions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4873446; v61 updated 2026-03-18; through 03-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Albany City Code Chapter 363 requires anyone who wants to sell goods or services door-to-door to first obtain a license from the City Clerk under § 363-9. The application discloses the goods or services offered, the applicant's name, address and date of birth, and any criminal convictions, and requires fingerprints submitted to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services for a background check reviewed by the Corporation Counsel. The license costs $200 a year under § 363-5, and vendors must honor posted 'vendors not desired' notices and cannot vend between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Selling without a license is a violation punishable by up to a $350 fine or 15 days in jail under § 363-18.
Violations & Fines
Vending door-to-door without a City Clerk license, or after suspension or revocation, is a violation carrying up to a $350 fine or 15 days in jail under § 363-18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in Albany?
Are Girl Scout cookie sellers exempt?
Can I turn away door-to-door vendors at my home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albany
New York rules heatmap·Compare Albany to another location·View the New York soliciting & door-to-door overview
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Albany County handle solicitor permits.