Monterey County, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Monterey County Sheriff's Office
- Application requires
- Photos, fingerprints, full arrest record
- Review window
- 15 days for Sheriff to approve/deny
- License term
- Renews semiannually, Jan 1 and Jul 1
- No-soliciting signs
- Legally binding under § 7.20.120
Summary
Anyone who goes door to door in unincorporated Monterey County selling goods, soliciting orders, or setting up a temporary stand must first obtain an itinerant vendor license from the Sheriff under Monterey County Code Section 7.20.020. The Sheriff investigates the applicant's character before issuing the license, and residents can lawfully bar solicitors by posting a no-peddling sign.
Except as provided by this Chapter, it is unlawful for any itinerant vendor to engage in business in any unincorporated area of Monterey County, whether for himself or herself or as agent or employee of some other person, firm, corporation or association, without having procured from the Sheriff a license for such purpose.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
010(B) as any person who goes from place to place, or from door to door, or sets up a temporary stand, to sell or solicit orders for goods, wares, merchandise, fruits or vegetables; the definition excludes merchants with a fixed place of business. 020 makes it unlawful to engage in this business in the unincorporated area without a Sheriff-issued license. 030 disclosing name, physical description, business address, two duplicate photographs taken within 60 days, fingerprints, and a complete arrest record; if a vehicle is used to sell food, a Health and Safety Code Section 27551 health permit is also required before the license can issue.
040 and must approve or disapprove within 15 days. 050; honorably discharged veterans are exempt from the fee, and out-of-state agents soliciting orders for interstate shipment are also exempt from the fee but must still register. 060 gives a denied or delayed applicant the right to appeal to the Sheriff. 080. 100 exempts sales to farmers, ranchers and business establishments, wholesalers calling on retailers, local farmers selling their own produce, and newspaper carriers. 120 makes it unlawful for a vendor to enter any premises displaying a sign that no peddlers or solicitors are allowed, absent the occupant's express permission.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting or peddling door to door in the unincorporated county without a Sheriff-issued license under Section 7.20.020 is unlawful, and entering a property posted against peddlers or solicitors without the occupant's permission violates Section 7.20.120. The reviewing officer may temporarily suspend a license for unlawful conduct under Section 7.20.090, file written charges within five days, and the Sheriff may revoke the license after a hearing on five days' written notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in unincorporated Monterey County?
What must I submit with a Monterey County peddler license application?
Can I refuse door-to-door solicitors at my home?
Are any sellers exempt from the Monterey County peddler license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California soliciting & door-to-door overview
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