Ada County, ID Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Ada County Code 4-1-3 makes it unlawful to engage in peddling or soliciting in the unincorporated county without first securing a license from the county clerk, though 501(c) nonprofits, political groups, invited solicitors, and charitable collections taken at regular meetings are exempted. Under 4-1-4, the application must list the applicant's business description, name, address, phone number, and a full history of any felony or misdemeanor convictions, plus two 2-inch by 2-inch photographs, and must be accompanied by a $50 fee per individual licensee. Applicants also submit fingerprints to the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification, which forwards them to the FBI, so the county clerk and board of commissioners can evaluate fitness before issuing a license; that criminal history information cannot be further disseminated.

Section 4-1-5 requires a $1,000 surety bond, cashier's check, or letter of credit per licensee before any license issues, capped at $5,000 for a business with multiple peddling or soliciting employees; the county can sue on the bond for a licensee's noncompliance, and the clerk returns it within 90 days of a written request once the license expires and no violation is pending. The county clerk and board of commissioners must deny an application under 4-1-6 if it is incomplete, contains a misrepresentation, or the applicant has a disqualifying criminal history, including theft or fraud charges within 15 years for felonies or 5 years for misdemeanors, weapons crimes, crimes against children or vulnerable persons, sex offenses, or drug crimes, or is a registered sex offender. Licenses run one year from issuance (4-1-7), must be worn or displayed during activity (4-1-8), and cannot be transferred to another party (4-1-9).