Columbus, OH Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Individual annual fee
- $150 per year
- Promoter annual fee
- $300 per year
- Tri-annual option
- $75 per 4 months
- Minimum age
- 18 years old
- First offense penalty
- 3rd-degree misdemeanor
Summary
Columbus requires door-to-door peddlers, solicitors, and canvassers to hold a commercial sales license from the License Section, with a separate promoter's license for any business that sends employees or agents out to solicit.
No person shall engage in the act of peddling, soliciting, or canvassing within the City of Columbus without first obtaining a commercial sales license to peddle, solicit, or canvass in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.(b)No corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, organization, or business of any kind, shall cause or permit any employee, agent, volunteer, independent contractor, or subcontractor thereof, to engage in the act of peddling, soliciting, or canvassing within the City of Columbus without first obtaining a commercial sales promoter's license in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 1174-85; Ord. No. 1726-2012, § 1, 7-30-2012; Ord. No. 0768-2024, § 3, 3-18-2024)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Columbus City Codes § 523.02 bars anyone from peddling, soliciting, or canvassing in the city without first obtaining a commercial sales license from the License Section, and bars any business from sending employees, agents, or contractors to do so without a commercial sales promoter's license. Annual licenses run $150 for individuals and $300 for promoters, with a cheaper four-month tri-annual option for individual sellers. Applicants must be at least 18, disclose criminal history, and can be refused for a recent felony, theft, or sex-offense conviction, prior fraud, or a license denial within the past year (§§ 523.04, 523.06, 523.07).
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license is a third-degree misdemeanor under § 523.99, rising to a second-degree misdemeanor on a repeat conviction; other chapter violations are fourth- or third-degree misdemeanors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to go door-to-door selling in Columbus?
Are any solicitors exempt from the Columbus license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
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