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

Boulder's itinerant merchant chapter, Sections 4-10-1 through 4-10-8 of the Boulder Revised Code, protects residents from door-to-door fraud by requiring a license before any person solicits sales or takes orders for future delivery on a door-to-door basis (Section 4-10-3(a)). The city manager issues the license after the applicant files an application listing the applicant's name, age and address; the names of any partners, officers, or shareholders holding more than ten percent of a corporate applicant; every solicitor and sales employee; the goods or services sold; and the supplier's name and address (Section 4-10-4(a)).

Applicants who lack a 501(c)(3) exemption pay the fee set by Section 4-20-10: a $50 non-refundable application fee, a $51 license fee per twelve-month period, and $10 per person for a background check review; the license fee is refunded only if the application is denied or withdrawn. A license runs for a two-year term or a shorter term the licensee requests or the city manager sets (Section 4-10-7). Every licensed salesperson or solicitor must display the license, which states the type of sale, the individual's name, and the expiration date, while soliciting or selling in the city (Section 4-10-6).

The city manager may deny an application under the general grounds of Section 4-1-9, including a prior revoked itinerant merchant license or a past failure to comply with the city's itinerant merchant rules, and may suspend or revoke an issued license under Section 4-1-10's procedures (Sections 4-10-5, 4-10-8). Persons who use a vehicle for scheduled deliveries over a fixed route, such as newspaper or milk delivery, and persons distributing information under the First Amendment, are exempt from the license requirement entirely (Section 4-10-3(b)-(c)).