Kennewick, WA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License class
- Class II peddler's license (§ 6.23.020)
- Who must hold one
- Peddlers, solicitors and itinerant vendors (§ 6.23.040)
- Fee
- Set in the Kennewick Master Fee Schedule (§ 6.23.050)
- Penalty range
- $25.00 to $500.00 per assessment (§ 6.23.080)
- Decision makers
- License Officer, then Hearing Examiner on review
- Excluded from solicitor definition
- Religious, charitable and political activities
- Charity filing
- Washington Secretary of State registration, RCW 19.09
Summary
Kennewick Municipal Code Chapter 6.23 requires every peddler, solicitor and itinerant vendor to hold a Class II license from the City before selling, delivering, or taking orders. Religious, charitable and political canvassers fall outside the solicitor definition, but charity fundraisers must register with the Washington Secretary of State under RCW 19.09. The License Officer can assess penalties from $25.00 to $500.00 and order restitution.
Solicitor includes any person traveling from place to place, taking or offering to take orders for the sale of any goods, merchandise, service or produce. A "solicitor" for the purpose of requiring a license under Section 6.23.040 shall not include those engaged in religious, charitable, or political activities, including direct or anonymous political speech and the distribution of noncommercial handbills. ... No peddler, solicitor, or itinerant vendor shall expose for sale, deliver or sell any goods or services or offer or take orders for sale or delivery without first procuring a license under this Chapter. ... The License Officer, or on review the Hearing Examiner, may suspend, revoke or refuse to issue a license if the licensee or applicant has violated any of the provisions of this Title for conducting any fraudulent, illegal or other deceptive practice. They may also assess a penalty of not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00. ... It shall be unlawful for any person soliciting contributions for any purpose to make any misrepresentation of his name, occupation, residence, financial condition or the purpose to which solicited funds are to be put.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6.23 of the Kennewick Municipal Code states its reach in § 6.23.010: it regulates peddlers, solicitors, and all itinerant merchants. Section 6.23.020 makes the peddler's license a Class II license. Three definitions in § 6.23.030 decide who needs one. A peddler travels from place to place offering, exposing for sale or selling goods, merchandise, service or produce. A solicitor travels from place to place taking or offering to take orders for the same things. An itinerant vendor runs a temporary business, or offers or takes orders for the sale or delivery of goods or services within the City, from a fixed or temporary location.
The mandate is § 6.23.040. No peddler, solicitor, or itinerant vendor can expose for sale, deliver or sell goods or services, or offer or take orders for sale or delivery, without first procuring a license under the Chapter. The verbs reach the offer and the order, so a canvasser who has not yet completed a sale is already covered.
The solicitor definition carries a carve-out. For the license requirement in § 6.23.040, a solicitor does not include people engaged in religious, charitable, or political activities, including direct or anonymous political speech and the distribution of noncommercial handbills. That sentence sits inside the solicitor definition only; the peddler and itinerant vendor definitions have no matching exclusion.
Chapter 6.23 prints no dollar figure for the fee. Section 6.23.050 says the fee for a peddler or itinerant vendor's license is adopted by City Council and located in the Kennewick Master Fee Schedule, wording amended by Ord. 25-6121 in 2025. Under § 6.23.060 each applicant supplies a permanent address and the address of the applicant's principal or supplier, the address from which business will be conducted when it runs from a fixed location within the County, and the nature and type of goods, merchandise or produce to be sold.
Charity fundraising adds a state filing. Section 6.23.070 makes it unlawful for a charitable organization, independent fund raiser or solicitor to solicit charitable contributions in the City without first filing a registration statement and disclosure requirements with the Washington Secretary of State's Office, unless exempt, as RCW 19.09 requires. Section 6.23.090 separately bars anyone soliciting contributions for any purpose from misrepresenting name, occupation, residence, financial condition or what the money is for.
Violations & Fines
Under § 6.23.080 the License Officer, or on review the Hearing Examiner, can suspend, revoke or refuse to issue a license when the licensee or applicant violated the Title through any fraudulent, illegal or other deceptive practice. They can also assess a penalty of not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00 and order compensatory damages or restitution to anyone injured. Misrepresenting your name, occupation, residence, financial condition or the use of solicited funds is unlawful under § 6.23.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a door-to-door salesperson in Kennewick need a license?
Do religious, charitable or political canvassers need a Kennewick solicitor license?
How much does a Kennewick peddler or itinerant vendor license cost?
What must a charity solicitor file before asking Kennewick residents for donations?
What happens if a Kennewick licensee is accused of a deceptive practice or cannot pay a penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kennewick
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