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

Chapter 167, Peddling and Soliciting, adopted 5-1-1978, requires anyone acting as a hawker, peddler or solicitor within Town of Clay limits to hold a license under § 167-3. Section 167-4 requires a written application to the Town Clerk stating the vehicle used, the goods or services offered, the distribution method, the applicant's name, address and age, any prior misdemeanor or felony conviction, the employer represented, and the license term sought. Solicitors who take payment in advance of delivery must post a bond or cash deposit set under Chapter 105, Fees, held for 90 days after the license expires, per § 167-5.

Under § 167-6, the Town Clerk cannot issue the license until at least two business days after filing, may refuse an applicant convicted of a disqualifying crime or judged unfit, and a refused applicant may appeal to the Town Board except as barred by Town Law § 137. Section 167-2 exempts honorably discharged veterans licensed under General Business Law § 32, nonprofits that register annually with the Town Clerk, farmers peddling their own produce, and interstate-commerce sellers who obtain a one-year certificate of compliance. Licenses expire no later than the following January 1 under § 167-10 and can be revoked after a public hearing under Article 9 of the Town Law per § 167-13.

Letting someone else use your license is a separate misdemeanor under § 167-7, and any other Chapter 167 violation is punishable under § 167-17 by a fine up to $250, imprisonment up to 15 days, or both.