Coeur d'Alene, ID Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration required
- Before any door to door solicitation, unless exempt by state or federal law
- Where to register
- City clerk, with photo identification and a photograph
- Renewal
- New registration filed annually
- Felony bar
- Felony conviction within five (5) years prohibits soliciting
- Fines
- $100 first; $300 second and third; then misdemeanor
- Display
- City issued proof worn visibly on outside of clothing
Summary
In the City of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, it is unlawful to solicit door to door without first registering with the city and passing a background check, unless state or federal law exempts you. Registration is filed with the city clerk, renewed every year, and aimed at commercial sales rather than political or religious activity.
It is unlawful for any person to solicit door to door without first registering with the city of Coeur d'Alene and passing a background check, unless exempt by state or federal law. For the purposes of this chapter, "door to door solicitation" means any unsolicited contact by a person with any person at a residence or dwelling in the city of Coeur d'Alene for the purpose of selling any product or service, or soliciting orders for any product or service.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5.72 of the Coeur d'Alene Municipal Code, enacted by the Coeur d'Alene City Council under the city's police power and Idaho Code section 50-302, sets one gate for anyone selling a product or service at a home: register first. Section 5.72.030 defines door to door solicitation as any unsolicited contact at a residence or dwelling in the city for the purpose of selling a product or service, or soliciting orders for one.
The city clerk runs the process. An applicant presents a current government issued photo identification, allows the clerk to take a photograph, and fills out an application listing name and permanent home address, the nature of the business and the goods or services to be sold, the employer and the exact relationship to that employer, the length of time the solicitation will occur, and any criminal or municipal ordinance convictions with the nature and place of the offense. A registration fee and a background check fee, both in amounts set by resolution of the city council, are due when the application is submitted.
The background check is fingerprint based. Applicants supply information and fingerprints so the city can obtain criminal history from the Idaho state police and the federal bureau of investigation, and anyone convicted of a felony within five (5) years before the application date is prohibited from door to door soliciting within the city limits.
A new registration must be filed with the city clerk annually. A registrant who wants to sell a product or service not listed on the original application must first submit a revised description on the clerk's form. While soliciting, every registrant must visibly display the city issued proof of registration on the outside of their clothing.
The chapter does not reach protected speech: the registration and background check provisions do not apply to political or religious activities. Nonprofit businesses, including charitable activities, within the meaning of section 503 of the United States internal revenue code are exempt from the fee and background check provisions, but only with a certificate of that status from the internal revenue service.
Violations & Fines
Under section 5.72.110, an initial violation of any provision of the chapter is an infraction with a fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00). Second and third violations of the same section are an infraction with a fine of three hundred dollars ($300.00). Any additional violation of the same section is a misdemeanor punishable under section 1.28.010 of the code. Giving false information on a registration or background check application is itself prohibited conduct under section 5.72.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register to sell door to door in Coeur d'Alene?
Does the registration rule apply to political or religious canvassing?
How long does a Coeur d'Alene solicitor registration last?
Are charities exempt from the registration fee and background check?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coeur d'Alene
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