Cupertino, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Manager
- Permit validity
- 90 days
- Fingerprints taken by
- County Sheriff's Department
- Appeal window for denial
- 10 days to City Council
- Penalty
- Infraction under Ch. 1.12
Summary
Anyone going door-to-door in Cupertino to sell goods or take orders needs a City Manager-issued identification permit before getting a business license. Applicants submit identification, fingerprints taken by the Sheriff's Department, photographs, and a criminal history disclosure under Municipal Code Section 5.20.020, and the permit issued is valid for only ninety days.
No person shall act as a solicitor, as defined by this chapter, within the City, without an identification permit, as hereinafter provided. ... the applicant for a business license shall first submit an application for an identification permit to the City Manager. The permit shall only be issued by the City Manager after an investigation is made by him ... Fingerprints of the applicant to be taken by the Sheriff’s Department of the County or a designated agency; and A statement as to whether or not the applicant has been convicted of a crime, felony or misdemeanor, the nature of the offense and the punishment or penalty assessed therefor. ... which permit shall be valid for a period of ninety days only, and subject to the revocation provisions of this chapter. ... Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter or knowingly or intentionally misrepresenting to any officer or employee of the City any material fact in procuring the permit herein provided for shall be deemed guilty of an infraction, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1.12.
Full Breakdown
020 requires anyone acting as a solicitor within Cupertino, meaning someone going house to house or business to business without an invitation to sell goods, wares, merchandise, or services, to hold an identification permit before the City will issue the business license the occupation otherwise requires. The application, submitted to the City Manager, must include the applicant's name, date of birth, and description; local and legal address; a description of the business and what is being sold; employer information and credentials if the applicant works for someone else; the length of time the applicant plans to operate in the City; a description of any vehicle used, with its license number; two head-and-shoulders photographs; fingerprints taken by the Sheriff's Department of the County or a designated agency; and a disclosure of any felony or misdemeanor convictions.
040 an approved permit is valid for only ninety days and remains subject to revocation. 48 who stay on public sidewalks. 050 to appeal in writing to the City Council, whose decision is final.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.20.130 makes it an infraction, punishable under Chapter 1.12, to solicit without a valid identification permit or to misrepresent a material fact while applying for one. Permits are non-transferable under Section 5.20.110, must be carried on the solicitor's person, and must be produced on demand of the City Manager, a Sheriff's Department member, or the person being solicited, under Section 5.20.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door salespeople need a permit in Cupertino?
How long is a Cupertino solicitor's permit good for?
Who is exempt from Cupertino's solicitor permit requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle solicitor permits.