Columbia, MO Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee
- $20 plus background-check cost
- Permit expires
- June 30 each year
- Exempt
- charities, newsboys, nonprofits
- Requires
- criminal record check
- Applies
- Columbia, Boone County, MO
Summary
Columbia, Missouri requires door-to-door solicitors and canvassers to obtain a city permit, following a criminal background investigation, before soliciting orders or sales anywhere in city limits.
It shall be unlawful for any solicitor or canvasser, as defined in section 13-226 hereof, to engage in such business within the corporate limits of the city without first obtaining a permit therefor in compliance with the provisions of this article.(b)The inclusion of an individual or business as a canvasser or solicitor under the coverage of this article shall not exempt that individual or business from the requirements of this chapter regarding business licenses, and a business license fee may be collected from an individual or business involved in canvassing or soliciting where lawful to so do. (Code 1964, § 7.3000)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 13-227, anyone canvassing house-to-house or place-to-place in Columbia, Missouri to take orders for goods or future services must get a permit before starting; a business license may also be required separately. The application goes to the business license administrator with a $20 fee plus the cost of a criminal record check, and the administrator investigates the applicant's character and business responsibility before approving or denying it. Approved applicants receive a permit card that must be shown to any citizen on request. Charitable, religious, political, and nonprofit organizations, plus newsboys, are exempt from the whole article.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without the required permit falls under Chapter 13's general penalty, Sec. 13-32: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail; permits can separately be revoked for fraud or a moral-turpitude conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do political canvassers need a permit in Columbia?
How much does a Columbia solicitor permit cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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