Charlotte, NC Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- City Code § 6-432
- Time-on-street limit
- 30 min within 300 ft, § 6-437
- Residential hours ban
- 8 p.m.-8 a.m. (9 p.m. DST), § 6-438
- Maximum civil penalty
- $500.00, § 6-439
- Free producer-peddler permit
- Home-grown goods only, § 6-433
- Restricted zones
- Congested business, Coliseum, Stadium districts
Summary
Door-to-door peddlers selling merchandise on Charlotte streets or sidewalks must carry a peddling license and show it to any officer on demand under City Code Section 6-432. A peddler can't occupy one spot for more than 30 minutes within 300 feet under Section 6-437 or work residential streets between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (9:00 p.m. during daylight saving time) under Section 6-438, backed by a civil penalty up to $500.00.
It shall be unlawful for any person required to have a license to peddle any article of merchandise upon the streets or sidewalks of the city until such person shall have first secured a proper license to peddle the articles of merchandise, and such person shall keep and shall produce and exhibit the license to any lawful officer upon demand. ...It shall be unlawful for any person, while peddling any article of merchandise from any vehicle or on foot, to occupy any space upon any street within one block or to occupy any space within a 300-foot distance for a period of more than 30 minutes during any 24-hour period. ...It shall be unlawful to peddle any article of merchandise from any vehicle or on foot between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in areas zoned for residential purposes within the corporate limits. However, during such periods that daylight saving time is in effect, these hours shall be from 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
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
Article VIII of Chapter 6 governs peddling, defined in Section 6-431 as selling merchandise on foot or from a vehicle for instant delivery to the buyer. Section 6-432 requires anyone who needs a license to peddle to first secure it and produce it to any lawful officer on demand; selling without one is unlawful. A separate track exists for people selling only what they or their immediate family grew, made or manufactured on their own property: Sections 6-433 and 6-434 let them obtain a free permit from the revenue collector by filing a sworn affidavit, and Section 6-435 keeps that permit valid until revoked for cause.
Geographic and time limits apply across the board. Section 6-436 bars selling in the city's defined congested business district, Coliseum district or Stadium district except as part of a market, festival or similar event sanctioned by the city or county, with peddlers subject to the sponsor's selection process, assigned locations and possible added fees. Section 6-437 limits time on the street: no more than 30 minutes within one block or 300 feet of a given spot in any 24-hour period. when daylight saving time is in effect.
00, assessed under Section 2-24, for any violation of the article. The congested business district's street list and the NoDa Market pilot permit were most recently amended by Ordinance No. 992, adopted June 23, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Peddling without a license, exceeding the 30-minute/300-foot time limit, working residential streets outside permitted hours, or selling in the congested business, Coliseum or Stadium districts without an event-sponsor permit are unlawful under Article VIII. Section 6-439 authorizes a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per violation, issued under the authority in Section 2-24.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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