Duluth, MN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Duluth Legislative Code Section 27-6 splits door-to-door sellers into three groups with different rules. Peddlers and transient merchants, who sell and deliver goods on the spot, must obtain a city license under Section 27-6(b) before doing business in the city; solicitors, who only take orders for later delivery, do not need a license but must register with the city clerk under Section 27-6(g), receiving a non-transferrable certificate of registration once the form is filed. County licensing applies on top of city rules: Section 27-6(a) requires anyone covered by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 329 to also hold whatever county license the statute calls for, where the county issues one.

An application must be filed at least 14 regular business days before the applicant wants to start, on a city clerk form that captures the applicant's legal name, aliases, physical description, home and business addresses, phone numbers, a description of goods sold, any conviction within the past ten years, the three most recent cities where the applicant peddled, and vehicle identification for any vehicle used in the business. Section 27-7 puts the Duluth Police Department in charge of investigating each application, including a background check, before the chief administrative officer approves or denies it within 12 business days; grounds for denial or revocation include lying on the application, a relevant conviction within ten years, a license revocation within the past five years, or a pattern of consumer complaints. Non-commercial door-to-door advocates, such as religious or political canvassers, are exempt from both the license and the registration requirement under Sections 27-5(b)(1) and 27-6(f)(2).