Howell, NJ Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Section 223-3 makes it unlawful for any peddler or solicitor to operate in Howell Township without a license issued under Chapter 223, and only at the Township locations permitted. A solicitor or canvasser is anyone who goes from house to house, place to place or street to street taking or attempting to take orders for services, goods, wares or merchandise for future delivery, whether or not a sample is carried; a peddler or hawker conveys goods and sells or delivers them. Transient merchants also need a license under N.J.S.A. 45:24-1 et seq.

The application under § 223-6A is sworn, filed with the Township Clerk, and lists nine items, including the applicant's name and physical description, permanent home and local address, the nature of the business, the employer's name and credentials, the length of time and the days and hours of business, the source of supply and delivery method, three recent two-inch by two-inch photographs, evidence of good character and business responsibility, and a statement of any convictions. Applicants and employees who peddle or solicit must be fingerprinted for a criminal background check through the Howell Township Police Department, unless under 18, and fingerprinting and background checks must be submitted with the application every three years. No license is issued until the Police Department approves the application.

The fee is $75 per year under § 139-49, and a veteran or exempt firefighter holding the qualifying state license is exempt from the fee but not from the rules. Annual licenses expire at 12:00 midnight on December 31 of the year issued. Door-to-door activity is limited to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with none on Sunday, and no one can knowingly enter property displaying a no knock sticker or listed on the no knock registry (§ 223-9B). Under § 223-7, a denied applicant can appeal to the Township Manager or designee at a hearing held not less than 10 nor more than 20 days after the denial notice, with final action by the Township Council.