Concord, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit Required
- CMC Ch 5.50 — commercial solicitor permit required
- Hours 9 AM–sunset
- Hours 9 AM–sunset (or 8 PM summer)
- No Soliciting
- "No Soliciting" signs legally binding
- Towing
- Non-commercial canvassing permit-exempt (Watchtower v. Stratton)
- Report aggressive tactics
- Report aggressive tactics to Concord PD
Summary
Concord Municipal Code Chapter 5.50 regulates commercial door-to-door solicitation, requiring a city peddler/solicitor permit, identification card display, and compliance with posted "No Soliciting" signs. Hours are typically limited to 9 AM to sunset (or 8 PM in summer). Non-commercial, religious, and political canvassing are protected First Amendment activity and cannot be permit-restricted.
602. Except as provided in subdivisions (u), (v), and (x), and Section 602.8, a person who willfully commits a trespass by any of the following acts is guilty of a misdemeanor: (a) Cutting down, destroying, or injuring any kind of wood or timber standing or growing upon the lands of another. (b) Carrying away any kind of wood or timber lying on those lands. (c) Maliciously injuring or severing from the freehold of another anything attached to it, or its produce. (d) Digging, taking, or carrying away from a lot situated within the limits of an incorporated city, without the license of the owner or legal occupant, any earth, soil, or stone.
Full Breakdown
50) requires commercial solicitors, those offering goods or services for sale door-to-door, to obtain a business license and solicitor permit from the city. Applicants typically submit identification, a background check authorization (Live Scan), and a $50–$150 application fee. Each solicitor must carry a city-issued identification card while soliciting and produce it on demand. Permitted hours are generally 9:00 AM to sunset, or 8:00 PM during summer months; solicitation outside these windows or after being asked to leave is a misdemeanor. Respecting "No Soliciting" signs is legally required under Concord's ordinance; violation is a separate offense.
S. Supreme Court precedent (Watchtower v. S. 150 (2002)), non-commercial door-to-door canvassing by religious groups, political campaigns, charitable organizations, and cause-advocacy groups cannot be required to obtain a permit or register in advance, these protections apply fully in Concord. However, those groups must still respect posted "No Soliciting" signs and cannot enter private property after being asked to leave (which would constitute trespass under PC §602). Residents concerned about aggressive sales tactics can report to Concord PD; suspected fraud/scams should also be reported to the California Attorney General's Office and Contra Costa DA Consumer Protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do religious missionaries need a permit in Concord?
How do I stop commercial solicitors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Concord
California rules heatmap·Compare Concord to another location·View the California soliciting & door-to-door overview
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Contra Costa County handle solicitor permits.