Clearwater, FL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Chief of Police (Sec. 23.32)
- Expiration
- Every September 30, regardless of issue date
- Disqualifying convictions
- Fraud, violence or moral turpitude within 5 years
- Reapplication bar
- 1 year after a fraud/conviction denial
- Must carry permit
- Show it to police or the person solicited
- Appeal route
- City manager within 10 days, then city commission
Summary
Going door to door in Clearwater to sell goods, services or real estate, or to canvass for orders, requires a solicitor's permit from the chief of police under Sec. 23.32. Applicants disclose their identity, employer and physical description, and the permit expires every September 30 regardless of issue date.
It shall be unlawful for any person not holding a solicitor's permit in the city or a valid license by the state to sell or otherwise offer for sale real estate or any interest in real estate to go in, on or upon any public building, street, sidewalk, beach, park or other public place within the city or any private residence, apartment or premises in the city for the purpose of soliciting from the occupants thereof or to canvass for orders for goods, wares, merchandise or services of any character or description or to canvass for customers to purchase real or personal property or any interest in such real or personal property or for the purpose of offering to give or to furnish or giving or furnishing any goods, wares, merchandise or services to any such occupants to induce or invite such orders, without first having applied for and received from the chief of police a solicitor's permit so to do.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 32 makes it unlawful for anyone without a city solicitor's permit, or a valid state real-estate license, to go onto any public street, park, beach or private residence in Clearwater to sell real estate, canvass for orders on goods or services, or solicit customers, without first applying to the chief of police. Sec. 022 permit from the circuit court clerk or the state department of agriculture. Sec. 34 has the police chief issue the permit unless the applicant is disqualified, and it expires every September 30 following issuance no matter the issue date.
Sec. 35(1) bars issuance to anyone convicted within the past five years of a felony involving fraud, deceit or moral turpitude, a sex offense against minors, prostitution or pandering, or an offense involving force or violence, and to anyone who lied on the application or had a similar permit denied, revoked or suspended within five years; a person denied on those grounds cannot reapply for one year. Wholesale-house representatives calling on retail outlets are exempt under Sec. 31.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting or canvassing in Clearwater without carrying and displaying the permit violates Sec. 23.32 and Sec. 23.36, which requires the holder to show the permit on request to any police officer or person solicited. The chief of police can revoke a permit for any violation of city, state or federal law under Sec. 23.37, and an applicant denied for fraud or a disqualifying conviction is barred from reapplying for one year under Sec. 23.35(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues Clearwater's solicitor permit?
How long does a Clearwater solicitor permit last?
Can a past conviction stop me from getting a Clearwater solicitor permit?
What if the police chief denies my solicitor permit application?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clearwater
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Clearwater to another location·View the Florida soliciting & door-to-door overview
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle solicitor permits.