Salt Lake County Code Chapter 5.17 requires anyone engaged in door-to-door residential solicitation in unincorporated Salt Lake County to register with the County Licensing Official and obtain a photo identification badge before knocking on any residence. The badge must be worn visibly at all times while soliciting. Cities like Sandy, Murray, West Jordan, West Valley City, and Salt Lake City have parallel ordinances under their own business-license titles (Salt Lake City Code §5.64 covers solicitation permits). Registration applications typically require government ID, fingerprints or a background check, a list of all solicitors on a single permit, and disclosure of the goods or services being sold.
Under Salt Lake County Code §5.17.050, no person may engage in door-to-door solicitation within the unincorporated county without first submitting a completed application to the licensing official and receiving an identification badge. The badge contains the solicitor's name, photo, sponsoring company, expiration date, and county seal, and must be displayed prominently on the outer garment so residents can read it before opening the door. Religious canvassers, political volunteers, and Girl/Boy Scout fundraisers are typically treated as protected First-Amendment activity and exempt from the permit fee, but courts have held they must still register so the county can verify identity. Sandy, Murray, and Cottonwood Heights operate their own badge programs; Salt Lake City's program (§5.64.120) is administered by the SLC Business Licensing Division and requires a $50 fee plus a BCI background check. Charitable organizations registered with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection under Utah Code §13-22 may show that registration in lieu of some local requirements but still need a county badge.
Soliciting without a current badge is a Class B misdemeanor under §5.17 — up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail. Most departments cite first-time violators for an infraction ($100-$300) and order them to leave the area. Lying on the application or using a fake badge is a Class A misdemeanor (up to $2,500). Salt Lake County Sheriff and city police regularly run sting operations during summer sales seasons targeting unregistered pest-control, alarm, and solar canvassers.
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