Section 311.01 declares uninvited door-to-door peddling a public nuisance. Section 311.02(b) exempts religious and political solicitation consistent with First Amendment law. Section 717.02 separately bars peddler noise on Sunday and outside 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on other days, and within 150 feet of schools or churches.
Bethlehem's door-to-door framework lives in Article 311 (Peddlers and Solicitors). Section 311.01 declares uninvited solicitation at private residences by peddlers, hawkers, itinerant merchants or transient vendors a public nuisance. Section 311.02 carves out two First Amendment-required exceptions: (a) sale of milk, dairy, vegetables, poultry, eggs and farm produce, and (b) solicitation in furtherance of religious or political beliefs where the donation matches publishing/manufacture cost and materials are limited to religious or political content. This tracks Watchtower Bible v. Stratton, 536 U.S. 150 (2002). Section 717.02 limits peddler noise to 7 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays only.
Section 311.99: first $100 or 30 days; second $300 or 60 days; third $600 or 90 days. Section 717.02 noise violations carry the Section 717.99 schedule: $50-$100 first, $100-$300 second, $500 or 30 days for third.
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