Merced County, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Chapter 6.24 of the Merced County Code requires any itinerant vendor, defined as a person with no established place of business in the county who goes door to door or sets up a temporary location to sell goods or take orders, to obtain a permit from the Sheriff before engaging in business (Section 6.24.020). The Sheriff can also require the applicant to get sign-off from planning, health, public works, the agricultural commissioner, fire, county risk management, the housing authority, and the Veterans Administration. Applicants must be at least 18, and the written application must include their name, birth date, address, a description of the goods being sold, a physical description, vehicle information, any misdemeanor or felony record, two current facial photographs, and a set of fingerprints (Section 6.24.025).

The Sheriff has 15 days to investigate the applicant's and any employer's character for morality, honesty, and integrity; if the investigation raises concerns, the Sheriff denies the permit and forwards the file to an Independent Hearing Officer appointed by the Board of Supervisors, whose ruling can be appealed to the Board within five days (Section 6.24.040, 6.24.070). Non-profit organizations skip the vendor permit but still need a non-profit permit backed by their tax-exempt status, board list, and solicitor roster, requested at least seven days before soliciting, with all fees and fingerprinting waived (Section 6.24.045).

Veterans are exempt from fees but must still obtain a permit. Permits must be displayed on the solicitor's person at all times, renew annually between January 1 and January 31, and the ordinance bars vending on the public highway or road right-of-way and in any area prohibited by the Title 18 zoning code (Sections 6.24.060, 6.24.080, 6.24.090).