Boston, MA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License issuer
- Boston City Clerk
- Bond required
- $500 with two sureties
- License expires
- No later than Jan. 1 following issuance
- Fine for unlicensed sales
- $20 per day
- Display duty
- License shown at place of business
Summary
Anyone peddling goods, wares or merchandise in Boston without a fixed store must get a City Clerk license as a transient vendor before making any sales. The applicant files a sworn statement of stock value, posts a $500 bond, and must display the license at the point of sale.
Every transient vendor, whether principal or agent, authorized by commonwealth license to do business in this commonwealth, before making any sales of goods, wares and merchandise in the city, shall make application for a local license to the City Clerk, stating the names, residences and places of business of the owners or parties in whose interest said business is conducted, and shall at the same time file with the City Clerk a true statement, under oath, of the average quantity and value of the stock of goods, wares and merchandise kept or intended to be kept or exposed by him or her for sale... Every transient vendor licensed under this Section shall also execute a bond to the city in the sum of $500 with two sufficient sureties, conditioned for faithful observance of this Section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Current through Ordinance 2025 C. 14, passed 11-5-2025).
Full Breakdown
Boston Code of Ordinances § 17-14 requires every transient vendor, whether acting as principal or agent, to hold a state license to do business in Massachusetts and then apply to the Boston City Clerk for a local license before making any sales of goods, wares or merchandise in the city. The application must state the names, residences and places of business of the owners or parties in whose interest the business is conducted, and the applicant must file a sworn statement of the average quantity and value of the stock kept or intended to be exposed for sale; the Clerk forwards that statement to the Commissioner of Assessing for examination and valuation.
20(L) is paid, the Clerk issues a license that stays valid only as long as the vendor continuously keeps and exposes the licensed stock for sale in the city, expiring no later than the following January 1. Every licensed transient vendor must also execute a $500 bond to the city with two sufficient sureties, conditioned on faithful observance of the section, and must exhibit the license at all times in a conspicuous part of the place of business it covers. L. Chapter 101, §§ 1 and 2, the state itinerant-vendor statute. The requirement applies citywide to anyone selling on a transient, non-fixed basis, which covers door-to-door and temporary-location peddling of goods.
Violations & Fines
Engaging in the transient-vendor business without first securing the local license is a misdemeanor. Conviction carries a fine of $20 for each day the goods, wares or merchandise are kept or exposed for sale without a license. The same $20-per-day fine applies to a vendor who neglects or refuses to file the required sworn stock statement, files a false or fraudulent statement, or, having been licensed, later fails to pay the sum required under the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to peddle goods in Boston without a store?
How long does a Boston transient vendor license last?
What happens if I sell without a transient vendor license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
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