Chattanooga, TN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $20 per day of business
- Issued by
- City treasurer, written application
- Advertising
- Barred until license is issued
- Revocation
- Fraud or adulterated-goods conviction
Summary
Chattanooga requires anyone peddling goods door-to-door or temporarily in the city, a 'transient merchant', to buy a $20-per-day license from the city treasurer before making a single sale.
Every transient merchant, whether principal or agent, before beginning business in the city shall take out a city license in the manner provided in this article. No such merchant shall expose for sale or sell at public or private sale any goods, wares or merchandise in the city until he has secured the license required in this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 40 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code Article IX defines a transient merchant as anyone who sells goods in the city without intending to become a permanent local merchant. Sec. 11-283 makes it unlawful to expose or sell any goods until a city license is secured, obtained by written application to the city treasurer stating the nature and duration of the business. The license fee is $20 per day of operation, and merchants who want to keep selling past their stated period must file a supplementary application and pay again. No one may advertise a transient sale before the license issues, and the treasurer can revoke a license upon conviction for fraud, misrepresentation, or selling adulterated goods.
Violations & Fines
Selling or advertising without the license, or filing a false license application, is unlawful; conviction for fraud or selling adulterated goods is grounds for the city treasurer to revoke the license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door sellers need a permit in Chattanooga?
What happens if a transient merchant's temporary license runs out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chattanooga
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