Grand Rapids, MI Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, from City Clerk
- Permitted calling hours
- 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
- School buffer
- 500 feet during school hours
- Exempt
- Charitable, religious, political canvassers
Summary
Grand Rapids requires anyone canvassing or peddling door-to-door to hold a transient merchant license from the City Clerk before making a single sale.
No person shall engage in the business of being a transient merchant without first having obtained a license therefore... No transient merchant shall call at any dwelling or residence except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any day of the week without an appointment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Under Chapter 99 of the Grand Rapids City Code, no person may engage in business as a transient merchant, a peddler, hawker, canvasser, or solicitor going house to house, without first obtaining a license from the City Clerk. Applicants file a form prescribed by the Clerk and pay the fee set in Chapter 92. Licensed or not, solicitors may only call between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., must obey posted "no solicitors" or "no peddlers" signs, and cannot sell within 500 feet of a school entrance during school hours. Charitable, religious, and political canvassers seeking funds or membership are exempt from the license itself but still must follow the hours and conduct rules.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without a license, ignoring posted no-solicitation signs, or calling outside 9 a.m.-9 p.m. violates Chapter 99 and can lead to license denial or citation by the City Clerk's office and police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do charities need a solicitor license in Grand Rapids?
Can a solicitor ignore a "No Soliciting" sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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