Gaithersburg, MD Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

The registration procedure sits in Section 16-4. An applicant files with the city manager's office, pays a registration fee set by the mayor and city council, and supplies a state-issued ID, a photo, a sample receipt form, and a description of the goods or services offered. The application asks whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime or had a registration certificate denied or revoked in any jurisdiction. Anyone soliciting orders for future delivery, rather than selling goods on the spot, can be required to post a $1,000 cash bond, corporate bond, or letter of credit guaranteeing that ordered goods will be delivered as promised.

Roadside vendors face extra requirements: written landowner permission, a valid trader's license, a site plan showing sales and parking areas, a schedule of operating locations, and proof the property is zoned for the activity. Certificates run one year and are nontransferable; the holder must display the certificate, may not solicit moving traffic, must leave a property if the owner or a posted no-solicitation sign says so, and must issue a written receipt for every sale. Section 16-2 exempts newspaper and dairy routes, established merchants delivering their own goods, buyer-initiated home visits, recognized charities, and city-sponsored events.

The city manager can revoke a certificate under Section 16-6 after notice and a hearing for fraud, misrepresentation, or any chapter violation, with appeal to the city board of appeals.