Auburn, AL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Sec. 16-22(a) requires every person who wants to solicit at residences in the city to apply for a six-month certificate of registration for a $75 fee, paid in cash or its equivalent, and to submit a criminal background history from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, or another agency the city manager approves, obtained within the prior 90 days. The application under Sec. 16-22(b) must include the solicitor's legal name and the organization solicited for, home and business addresses and phone numbers, the names of corporate officers or partners, the purpose and method of the solicitation, whether any prior permit was ever revoked, any past felony or misdemeanor conviction, documentation of authorization to solicit for the organization, and two passport-sized photos.

Applicants must prove their identity in person with a photo ID such as a driver's license, passport, or military ID (Sec. 16-22(d)), and Sec. 16-25 bars anyone convicted of a federal or state felony from being registered at all. Once issued, the certificate must be worn and visible at all times while soliciting, and shown on request to a resident, police officer, or the city's license and tax examiner. Certain categories are exempt from registration under Sec. 16-23, including solicitors for tax-exempt churches and charities, students raising money for approved school programs, political canvassers, and nationally recognized youth groups such as Scouts or the YMCA, though those groups still must follow the rest of the article, including the door-to-door hours and no-soliciting placard rules.

A registration can be revoked for a violation, a falsified application, or council action under Sec. 16-26, and a denied applicant or revoked registrant can appeal to the city manager and then the city council within seven calendar days under Sec. 16-27.