Des Moines requires all peddlers and solicitors to obtain a city license before conducting business. Applicants must submit a written application, pass a state criminal background check, be fingerprinted and photographed by police, and post a $1,000 surety bond.
Under Des Moines Municipal Code Chapter 78 (Peddlers and Solicitors), no person may solicit or peddle in the city without a valid license issued by the city clerk. Applicants must file a written application (§ 78-29) with personal and business details, pay an application fee plus a license fee set by council resolution for 30-day or 90-day terms, submit an Iowa DCI criminal background check dated within 30 days (or equivalent from out-of-state applicants), be fingerprinted and photographed by the Des Moines Police Department at their own expense, and file a $1,000 personal surety bond. Canvassers and solicitors who are exempt (e.g., newspapers, nonprofit groups) are listed in § 78-28.
Soliciting without a license is a municipal offense subject to fines. The license may be revoked for violations of city ordinances or state law.
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See how Des Moines's solicitor permits rules stack up against other locations.
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