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Clay County, MO Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Cancellation deadline
Midnight, 3rd business day after signing
Applies to
Sales solicited at buyer's residence
Excludes
Fixed-location or revolving-charge sales
Notice required
Seller must give boldface cancellation form
Governing law
RSMo §§ 407.700-407.720, state law

Summary

Missouri's Home Solicitation Sales Act, not a Clay County ordinance, governs door-to-door sales in the unincorporated county: RSMo § 407.705.1 gives a buyer until midnight of the third business day after signing to cancel any sale solicited at their home. Clay County's code of ordinances contains no separate peddler or solicitor permit requirement for the unincorporated area.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Clay County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

1. Except as provided in subsection 3 of this section, in addition to any right otherwise to revoke an offer, the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase which complies with sections 407.700 to 407.720. For the purposes of this section, the term "business day" shall mean any day except Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays.

Source: Revised Statutes of MissouriView official code

Full Breakdown

720. 700 defines a "home solicitation sale" as a consumer credit sale of goods or services where the seller personally solicits the sale at the buyer's residence and the buyer signs the purchase agreement there; it excludes preexisting revolving-charge accounts and sales negotiated earlier at a fixed business location. 1 gives the buyer until midnight of the third business day after signing to cancel, counting only weekdays that aren't legal holidays. Cancellation under subsection 2 takes effect the moment the buyer mails or otherwise delivers written notice to the seller's address on the agreement, and no particular wording is required as long as it shows an intent not to be bound.

Subsection 3 removes the cancellation right only if the buyer asked for emergency, without-delay service, the seller had already substantially begun performing, and, for goods, the item can't be returned in substantially as-received condition. 710 backs this up by requiring the seller to hand the buyer a signed agreement dated the day of the actual sale and printed with a boldface "NOTICE OF CANCELLATION" statement and detachable form, a requirement dating to a 1986 amendment effective May 1, 1986.

Violations & Fines

If the seller fails to reclaim delivered goods within a reasonable time after a valid cancellation, twenty days is presumed reasonable under § 407.720.1, the goods become the buyer's property without any obligation to pay for them. A seller who performed any services before the sale was cancelled is entitled to no compensation for that work under § 407.720.3. The buyer must still take reasonable care of goods already in hand until they are returned or the seller collects them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Clay County require a permit for door-to-door solicitors?
No. The county's code of ordinances does not include a peddler or solicitor licensing chapter for the unincorporated area. Anyone selling door-to-door in unincorporated Clay County is instead governed by Missouri's Home Solicitation Sales Act, RSMo §§ 407.700 to 407.720, which protects the buyer rather than licensing the seller.
How long do I have to cancel a door-to-door sale in Missouri?
Until midnight of the third business day after you sign the purchase agreement, under RSMo § 407.705.1. Business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, and you cancel simply by mailing or delivering written notice to the address the seller listed on the agreement.
What if the seller never gives me a cancellation notice form?
State law requires it: § 407.710.1 obligates the seller to hand you a signed, dated agreement printed with a boldface 'NOTICE OF CANCELLATION' statement before the sale is complete. Without that form, you still keep the underlying three-business-day cancellation right under § 407.705.1.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Clay County

All Clay County rules

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