Hamburg Village, NY Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

The Village of Hamburg regulates itinerant selling under Chapter 175, the Soliciting and Peddling Law, enacted by the Board of Trustees to protect the peace, health, safety, welfare and good order of the village. Section 175-4 requires all solicitors, peddlers, and any person merchandising any goods, wares, commodities or service within the village to first obtain a license from the Clerk of the Village, unless the soliciting, peddling or merchandising is at the personal request of the person solicited. Under § 175-3, soliciting means seeking or accepting orders for future delivery, or subscriptions, contributions or donations, and peddling means selling goods for immediate delivery from house to house or in a public street or public place.

Section 175-5 lists exemptions: a person soliciting at the express invitation of the person solicited or serving an established customer, a wholesaler selling to dealers with an established place of business in the village, and a school child, church representative, or member of a veterans, fraternal or civic group who solicits only in connection with an authorized activity of that group or school. Bakery, milk, ice cream and daily paper routes regularly established in the village, and licensed insurance agents, fall outside the definition of soliciting.

The application goes to the Village Clerk in writing and under oath. It must give the applicant's name, permanent home residence, the name and address of any firm represented, the length of time the license is required, a description of the goods with a true invoice of their amount, quality and value, and the applicant's number of arrests or convictions for crimes and the nature thereof. A letter of authorization from the represented firm must be attached.

Under § 175-7 the Clerk issues the license on receipt of the application and fee if reasonably satisfied with the applicant's qualifications. The license names the business authorized and the location where it can be conducted, is nontransferable, must stay in the licensee's continuous possession, and must be produced on demand of any village official or prospective buyer. Section 175-7.1 makes a license valid for 60 days from issuance. Fees are set by resolution of the Board of Trustees under § 175-9.

The Clerk can summarily revoke a license under § 175-12. An applicant denied or revoked can request a hearing in writing within 30 days to the Village Board, filed with the Village Clerk, under § 175-14. Magazine and periodical sellers also need a photograph taken within 30 days of the application and the countersignature of the Chief of Police under § 175-13.