Eden Prairie, MN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- City Code § 5.37, Subd. 3
- Permit required
- separate permit per peddler/solicitor
- Issued by
- Chief of Police within 10 business days
- Permit term
- expires December 31 each year
- Background check
- criminal history search under Minn. Stat. § 299C.72
- Violation
- misdemeanor under Subd. 9
Summary
In the City of Eden Prairie, anyone who peddles, solicits orders, or operates as a transient merchant door to door must first obtain a permit from the Chief of Police under City Code § 5.37. Each peddler or solicitor needs a separate, non-transferable permit, and applicants face a criminal history check before the City issues or denies the permit within ten business days.
It is unlawful for any peddler, solicitor, or transient merchant to engage in permit activities within the City of Eden Prairie without first obtaining a permit therefor in compliance with the provisions of this section. Each peddler, solicitor, or transient merchant engaged in permit activities, whether independently or on behalf of another, must have a separate permit.
Full Breakdown
Section 5.37 of the Eden Prairie City Code makes it unlawful for any peddler, solicitor, or transient merchant to engage in permit activities in the City without first obtaining a permit, and each one needs a separate permit that cannot be shared or transferred (Subd. 3). The code defines a peddler as anyone going house to house selling goods for immediate delivery, a solicitor as anyone taking orders for future delivery, and a transient merchant as anyone temporarily renting space, a vehicle, or a tent to sell goods (Subd.
2). Applicants apply to the City, pay an application, investigation, and permit fee set by the Council, and undergo a background check that can include a criminal history search under Minn. Stat. § 299C.72 (Subd. 6). The Chief of Police must endorse an application for issuance or denial within ten business days of a complete application, and permits expire December 31 each year (Subd. 6.E, F). A permit cannot be issued to anyone with a pending criminal charge or a conviction within five years for offenses like theft, fraud, or burglary that reflect on their fitness to solicit, or to anyone whose peddler, solicitor, or transient merchant license was revoked within the past five years (Subd.
5). Statutory exceptions cover wholesale sellers, newspaper carriers, farm-product sellers at their point of production, non-commercial door-to-door advocates, and minors 17 or younger raising money for a school or charitable group (Subd. 4). Permit holders must display their City-issued permit between the waist and neck on their outer garment while working (Subd. 7.A.2).
Violations & Fines
Working as a peddler, solicitor, or transient merchant in Eden Prairie without a permit is a misdemeanor under Subd. 9 of Section 5.37, as is inducing or directing someone else to violate the section. The Chief of Police can suspend or revoke a permit for fraud, false statements, or grounds listed in Subd. 5, after written notice; a permit holder has ten days to request a hearing before a City-appointed hearing officer, whose recommendation goes to the City Manager for a final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door to door in Eden Prairie?
Are Girl Scouts or religious canvassers exempt?
How long does a solicitor permit last?
What happens if someone solicits without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eden Prairie
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