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Hawthorne, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Solicitor license fee
$150/year or $10/day
Blanket license fee
$150/yr plus $10/yr per solicitor
Door-to-door curfew
7-8 p.m. to 9 a.m., residential zones
Non-resident bond
$500 surety bond required
Approving authority
Chief of police investigation required
Max misdemeanor penalty
$1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail

Summary

Hawthorne requires anyone soliciting or canvassing door to door to buy a license, submit fingerprints and a photo for police vetting, and stop knocking after 7 or 8 p.m. in residential zones without an invitation.

A. Every person engaging in the business of soliciting or canvassing shall pay a license fee of one hundred fifty dollars per year or ten dollars per day. ... D. It is unlawful for any person to engage in any form of door to door solicitation in any residential zone between the hours of seven p.m. Standard Time or eight p.m. Daylight Savings Time every day and nine a.m. the following day, except upon express invitation or consent of the resident to be solicited.

Full Breakdown

56 licenses peddlers, solicitors and itinerant merchants separately. 030(C)). the following day, unless the resident being solicited expressly invites or consents to it. 040 requires the applicant's home and local address, a description of the goods sold, employer credentials if applicable, a 2-inch by 2-inch photograph taken within 60 days, fingerprints and thumbprints, two property-owner references or equivalent character evidence, disclosure of any prior criminal or ordinance convictions, and a physician's statement dated within 10 days certifying the applicant is free of contagious disease. 050 sends every application to the chief of police for a background and moral-character investigation before the director of licensing and code enforcement can approve or deny it.

080(A) guaranteeing refunds and delivery of purchased goods. 100 requires every solicitor to carry a registration card issued by the chief of police, worn on the outer garment, showing name, address, thumbprint, photograph, the licensed activity and the license expiration date. 110.

Violations & Fines

Soliciting without the license, ignoring the door-to-door curfew, or wearing a registration card not issued to you is a code violation. Section 1.20.010 makes any Hawthorne Code violation a misdemeanor by default, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in county or city jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense; the city attorney or prosecutor may instead pursue it as an infraction or civil administrative citation under Section 1.20.030.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hours can solicitors knock on doors in Hawthorne?
Door-to-door solicitation in residential zones is barred from 7:00 p.m. standard time (8:00 p.m. daylight time) until 9:00 a.m. the next day under Hawthorne Code Section 5.56.030(D), unless the resident being solicited has expressly invited or consented to the visit.
Does a Hawthorne solicitor's license require a background check?
Yes. Section 5.56.050 requires the chief of police to investigate the applicant's business and moral character, along with that of agents and employees, before the director of licensing and code enforcement approves or denies the license.
Are charity fundraisers covered by this permit?
No. Section 5.56.110 exempts charitable solicitations from Chapter 5.56 entirely; those are instead regulated under Chapter 9.66 of the Hawthorne Code.
What happens if someone solicits in Hawthorne without a license?
It is a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with the city attorney able to instead charge it as an infraction or civil administrative violation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hawthorne

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