Arvada, CO Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Land Development Code § 3-1-4-11(B)(1) requires any transient merchant or entertainer to obtain a transient merchant license before engaging in ambulatory vending, entertainment (with or without vending), or food or personal-service vending anywhere in the city, whether on private property, in the public right-of-way, or in public space. City Code § 62-60 backs this up separately, making it unlawful for a transient merchant, as defined in the Land Development Code, to do business in Arvada without a permit issued under the zoning ordinance. The Land Development Code exempts several narrow categories, though other permits may still apply: sidewalk sales by an existing adjacent business, vending tied to a City-authorized special event, Olde Town Arvada festivals such as the Harvest Festival, outdoor restaurant/bar seating sales, expressive vending of self-produced books, art, or photographs, and hand-distributed newspapers or leaflets.

Licensed or exempt vendors still must clear specific buffers: city property without approval, within 40 feet of a school during school hours, within 40 feet of a police or fire station driveway, within six feet of any other driveway or marked crosswalk, and within ten feet of a handicapped parking space or access ramp. On public rights-of-way, additional 15- and 40-foot buffers apply near business entrances selling similar goods and near government building entrances. Food, merchandise, and personal-service vendors must also hold a City of Arvada sales and use tax license from the Finance Department and display all permits and health certifications on site. Violating the licensing or buffer-zone rules is enforced under the Code's general penalty, § 1-5.