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Elizabeth, NJ Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Permit fee
$35 first permit, $100 renewal
Permitted hours
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only
Fingerprinting
Required before permit issued
Permit expiration
Every December 31st
Enforcing office
License inspector, central license bureau
Prohibited zone
Special improvement district

Summary

Elizabeth requires a written permit from the license inspector at the central license bureau before anyone canvasses, solicits, or goes door-to-door selling goods, services, or taking surveys. Applicants must be fingerprinted, submit a full personal history, and pay a fee before receiving a permit good only for the hours and days it specifies.

No person, except as provided in this chapter, shall canvass, solicit, distribute circulars or other matter, or call from house to house, in the city, without first having reported to and received a written permit from the license inspector, central license bureau, division of revenue, department of finance.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).

Full Breakdown

050). 040). 060). Bona fide trainees accompanied by a licensed canvasser are exempt from the fee and application if employed less than 30 days. m. 070). 090). 100). 120). 130).

Violations & Fines

The license inspector, chief of police, director of police, or the officer in charge at police headquarters can revoke a permit outright for failing to follow the chapter's rules, and a canvasser who refuses to exhibit the permit or photograph on request, or who solicits inside the special improvement district without an exemption, is operating without lawful authority under Section 5.28.130.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to go door-to-door selling in Elizabeth?
Yes. Section 5.28.010 requires anyone who canvasses, solicits, distributes circulars, or calls house to house to first get a written permit from the license inspector at the central license bureau, division of revenue, department of finance. This covers sellers, surveyors, and pollsters who make personal contact door-to-door.
What hours can solicitors work in Elizabeth?
Section 5.28.070 limits canvassing to between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Soliciting outside that window is not authorized under any permit issued by the license inspector, regardless of what hours the permit itself specifies.
Are political campaigners or charities exempt from the permit?
Yes. Section 5.28.030 exempts bona fide political candidates soliciting votes, and Section 5.28.110(B) exempts anyone engaged exclusively in political, religious, charitable, or philanthropic work, though those groups must still notify the police director in writing of who is canvassing, where, and when.
Can solicitors go door-to-door in Elizabeth's special improvement district?
No. Section 5.28.130 prohibits solicitors and canvassers from operating in the city's special improvement district entirely, with narrow exceptions for delivery personnel and the political, religious, or charitable canvassers already exempted under Section 5.28.110.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Elizabeth

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsHeavy RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome Restrictions

All Elizabeth rules

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