Compton, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Bond required
- $1,000 corporate surety bond
- Permit fee
- $1 filing fee
- ID card fee
- $75, Police Department
- Issuing office
- License Collector
- Governing section
- CMC § 9-4.5
Summary
Compton requires anyone going door-to-door to solicit sales to get a permit from the License Collector and post a $1,000 corporate surety bond first. The License Collector must find the applicant of good moral character before issuing it.
In the event of an application for a peddler's or solicitor's permit, if the License Collector shall determine, after a reasonable investigation, that the applicant is of good moral character and proposes to engage in an enterprise which shall not be detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare of the City or its inhabitants, the License Collector then shall issue the permit required, provided, however, that no solicitor's permit shall be issued until there has been deposited with the License Collector for each person applying for the right to solicit in the City, a corporate surety bond satisfactory in form to the City Attorney, in the sum of $1,000, conditioned upon the observance by applicant of all the provisions of this Code and all laws of the State of California or the federal Government, and upon the truth of all the representations made in connection with the application for a permit, and as a guaranty that the purchase price, or any portion thereof, of any article purchased or ordered, will be returned to any purchaser or person ordering, upon return of the article purchased or upon relinquishment of the order, and upon proof that any false or misleading statement or representation has been made concerning any personal property or any service or any subscription sold or offered for sale to said purchaser, by the person named in the bond.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
5, a peddler's or solicitor's permit issues only after the License Collector conducts a reasonable investigation and determines the applicant is of good moral character and that the proposed enterprise will not be detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare of the City or its residents. Critically, no solicitor's permit is issued until the applicant deposits a corporate surety bond, in a form satisfactory to the City Attorney, in the sum of $1,000. The bond is conditioned on the applicant observing every provision of the Code and all state and federal law, on the truth of the representations made in the application, and it serves as a guaranty that any purchase price will be refunded to a buyer who returns purchased goods or cancels an order, and as protection against false or misleading sales statements.
3) must be filed with the License Collector and include the applicant's name and address, employer information, the nature and location of the business, a description of equipment used, a personal description, identifying evidence, and fingerprints if specifically required. 2). 7). 8), and the Council may revoke or suspend any permit under the procedure in § 9-1. 3 for established home-delivery routes, licensed professionals, minors under 16, invited visitors, and debt-collection calls.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without the required permit and bond, or without displaying the Police Department identification card required by § 9-5.1, is a Code violation enforceable by the License Collector and Police Department. The Council may deny, refuse, revoke, or suspend a permit at any time under the hearing procedure in § 9-1 if the licensee's conduct threatens public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare; if a permit is denied, the license fee is refunded but the $1 permit fee is not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every door-to-door solicitor in Compton need a bond?
What does the $1,000 bond actually protect?
Is a permit enough, or do solicitors need an ID card too?
Who decides whether to grant a Compton solicitor's permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
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