Chatham County, GA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

County Code Article III, the Transient Merchant, Peddler and Solicitor Ordinance, requires a license before operating as a transient merchant, transient peddler, or local peddler, and a permit before soliciting for a charitable or religious organization or for magazine subscriptions (Sec. 16-303). Applications go to the Occupational Tax Section and must list the applicant's name and permanent address (Sec. 16-304). Anyone applying for a solicitor's permit who has not lived in Chatham County for the preceding six months must register with the Chatham County Police Department and undergo a background investigation of every solicitor named on the application (Sec.

16-305). Transient merchants must also file a registered agent's name and address with the Clerk of Superior Court, unless the business is a Georgia corporation or a foreign corporation registered with the Georgia Secretary of State (Secs. 16-306, 16-307). The County can deny or revoke a license for false statements in the application, a felony or moral-turpitude conviction within the past five years, or operation in violation of federal, state, or county law (Sec. 16-308). Applications are also routed through the Director of Building Safety and Regulatory Services to confirm zoning and safety-code compliance before the Occupational Tax Section can issue the license (Sec.

16-309). On the street, peddlers and solicitors cannot set up a booth without written permission from the Director, cannot block entrances or traffic lanes, cannot enter a property under false pretenses or ignore a posted 'No Soliciting' sign, and must display their license or permit where the person being solicited can see it (Sec. 16-314).