Greenwood, IN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing agency
- City Controller
- Application fee
- $100 (renewal $25)
- Surety bond
- $1,000 required
- License term
- 180 days, one renewal
- Solicitation curfew
- banned 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Penalty range
- $50 to $2,500 per offense
- Background lookback
- 7 to 10 years criminal history
Summary
In the City of Greenwood, Indiana, no one may peddle, solicit door-to-door, or work as a transient merchant without first obtaining a license from the City Controller under Greenwood General Ordinances § 4-103. Applicants file a sworn application, pass a Police Department background check, and post a $1,000 surety bond. Licenses run 180 days, with fees and renewal terms set separately by ordinance.
No person shall engage in the business of peddler, solicitor, transient merchant, street vendor, or mobile food truck vendor within the City without obtaining a license in accordance with this Division. (a) Application for license. Any person desiring a license shall file a written sworn application with the City Controller, on a form prescribed by the Board of Public Works and Safety that contains the following information, with payment of the applicable fee prescribed in Sec. 4-104. ... (d) Term of license. A license issued under this Article shall expire 180 days after the date of its issuance. The holder may renew the license one (1) time before the end of the initial 180-day term by following the same procedure set forth in Sec. 4-102(a), except no application fee shall be charged nor criminal backgrounds required; the holder shall instead be charged a renewal fee in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 4-104. Subsequent to the expiration of the second 180-day term, a new license must be applied for with all the component parts and a new application fee will be charged in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 4-102(a) and Sec. 4-104.
Full Breakdown
Greenwood's Common Council regulates peddlers, solicitors, transient merchants, street vendors, and mobile food truck vendors together under Division of Chapter 4 of the General Ordinances. Section 4-103 requires a written, sworn application to the City Controller on a Board of Public Works and Safety form, listing the applicant's identity, criminal history for the past seven years, business address, vehicle information if used, and, for transient merchants, proof of a right to occupy the sale location plus a zoning-compliant site plan. The Controller forwards every application to the Police Department for review, and transient merchant applications also go to the Planning Division and the Building Commissioner.
Under Section 4-105, applicants pay a $100 application fee and post a $1,000 surety bond running to the City before any license issues; renewal costs $25. A license lasts 180 days and may be renewed once before a brand-new application and fee are required. Section 4-104 lets the Issuing Authority deny, suspend, or revoke a license for fraud, misrepresentation, or nuisance conduct after at least ten days' written notice and a hearing. Section 4-102 bars solicitation at any address posted with a No Solicitation sign, and Section 4-108 sets a curfew barring residential solicitation between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and requires solicitors to leave immediately when asked.
General conditions in Section 4-106 forbid standing in traffic lanes and require the license to be carried and shown to any law enforcement officer on request.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of this Article carries a fine of $50 to $2,500 per offense under Section 4-109, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense. Soliciting a property posted against solicitation draws a flat $2,500 fine per property under the same section. Police may impound a vehicle parked in violation and may seize goods sold without the required license until the seller obtains one.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood
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