Dothan, AL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Dothan City Code Sec. 18-176 treats unsolicited door-to-door selling, peddling and street soliciting as a public nuisance concern and requires the license division to review every applicant before issuing an identification card. Applicants must file a written application listing their name and physical description, permanent and local address, the nature of the practice, the firm they represent or supplier of goods, the length of time the permit is wanted, any prior conviction involving moral turpitude, vehicle details if a vehicle is used, and their Social Security number.

Once that information is furnished, the license division issues an identification card for each individual agent or solicitor within five working days, charging a $3.00 fee per card, unless the applicant has a felony conviction or falsified the application. The card must be shown to any police officer or city official on demand and displayed to anyone being solicited. Cards expire after 30 days. The municipal court, after the prosecuting attorney files charges and holds a hearing, can revoke a card for violating the section, fraud or misrepresentation, a felony conviction, or conducting solicitation in a way that breaches the peace or menaces public health and safety.

Bona fide nonprofit charitable organizations are exempt if they submit proof of federal tax-exempt status to the license division, which then notifies the Dothan Police Department of the exempt activity. Peddling, soliciting and door-to-door canvassing are barred between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and all day Sunday and on legal holidays.