Kankakee County, IL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration fee
- $15.00 per certificate
- Certificate term
- 30 days maximum, renewable
- Issuing agency
- Kankakee County Sheriff's Office
- Exempt groups
- Religious, charitable, nonprofit solicitors
- Penalty range
- $50-$1,000 per offense
- Felony bar
- Conviction within 5 years disqualifies
Summary
Anyone going door-to-door to sell goods, take orders, or solicit contributions in unincorporated Kankakee County must first obtain a certificate of registration from the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office. The certificate costs $15, requires a photo and criminal-history disclosure, and is valid for no more than 30 days at a time. Religious, charitable, and nonprofit solicitors are exempt from registration.
(b)Notwithstanding any other remedies available to the county pursuant to this article, any person violating any of provisions of the article shall be fined not less than $50.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense. ... Every person desiring to engage in soliciting as herein defined from persons in residences within any area of the county that is not within the corporate limits of a municipality, is hereby required to make written application for a certificate of registration as hereinafter provided. Application for a certificate of registration shall be accomplished by an application fee in the amount of $15.00. No certificate of registration shall be required for persons soliciting on behalf of any religious, charitable, or nonprofit association, organization, corporation or project. ... No certificate of registration shall be ... valid for a period in excess of 30 days.
Full Breakdown
The county's peddlers and solicitors ordinance, added by Ord. No. 2020-01-14-03, splits door-to-door activity into peddling (selling goods) and soliciting (seeking orders, subscriptions, insurance applications, utility customers, or charitable donations). 00 application fee, and disclose a full residence and employment history, date of birth, marital status, physical description, the subject matter of the solicitation, and whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony or of violating any solicitation ordinance. Every applicant must submit a photograph and swear to the application under oath. The sheriff keeps a numbered record of every application, denial, and certificate issued.
No certificate may be issued to anyone convicted of a felony within the last five years, convicted of violating this article, or whose certificate was previously revoked, and the sheriff can deny an application outright if it finds the applicant unqualified. 00 fee. A registered solicitor must wear the certificate visibly on outer clothing while soliciting, and must leave any property immediately and peacefully when asked by the occupant. Religious, charitable, and nonprofit organizations are exempt from the whole registration requirement, and peddling of merchandise on the spot is governed separately under a $100 annual license issued by the same sheriff's office.
Violations & Fines
Violating any part of the peddlers and solicitors article, including soliciting without a valid certificate, carries a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense; the county can also pursue criminal prosecution under state law. A certificate is revoked outright if the holder is convicted of violating the article or is found to have lied on the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to solicit door-to-door in unincorporated Kankakee County?
How long does the solicitor certificate last?
What happens if someone solicits without registering?
Can a solicitor refuse to leave my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
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