Kenosha, WI Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $250 per person, per year
- License term
- Oct 1 - Sept 30
- Residential curfew
- no peddling 8 p.m.-8 a.m.
- Application wait period
- 72 hours for investigation
- Buffer from competing business
- 800 feet
Summary
Kenosha requires anyone selling goods, food, or services door-to-door for profit to obtain a $250 peddler's license from the City Clerk. Peddling in a residential area without a prearranged appointment is banned between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., regardless of licensing.
B.License Required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of a "Peddler" or perform the act of "Peddling," as herein defined, within the City, without first having obtained a license from the City Clerk. Peddler shall be defined as any natural person who for personal profit or gain sells or takes orders for periodicals, goods, food, beverage, merchandise or services within the City, irrespective of the delivery or performance date where the sale or order occurs within the City, upon premises which are not owned or which are not rented or leased for a period of thirty (30) or more consecutive days by said person, or from any vehicle as defined by Wis. Stats. § 340.01(74).G.License Fee. The license fee shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per person, per license period, or any portion thereof.M.Limitation. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in peddling in a residentially zoned area without a prearranged appointment during the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11 Update 1 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
B makes it unlawful to engage in the business of a Peddler or to peddle within the City without first obtaining a license from the City Clerk. Subsection D defines a Peddler as any natural person who, for personal profit, sells or takes orders for periodicals, goods, food, beverage, merchandise, or services within the City, whether from a location not owned or long-term leased by the seller or from any motor vehicle, covering the classic door-to-door and truck-based sales model. Exemptions in Subsection C cover wholesale-to-retail sales, in-state farmers selling their own produce, minors delivering newspapers on their own route, licensed real estate or insurance agents, prearranged-appointment sales, and vendors at art, craft, antique, or trade shows.
The license fee is $250 per person for the license year running October 1 through September 30, with no proration, and the City Clerk investigates each applicant's moral character over a 72-hour waiting period through the Police Department (and the Health Department if food or drink is involved) before issuing or denying the license. Licensed peddlers using a vehicle must carry proof of insurance, a current ASE-certified brake and steering inspection report, and a driver's license on file, and must display the license on their person at all times.
, and Subsection Q bans peddling entirely within the Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade route during that parade and within 800 feet of any permanent business selling similar or competing products.
Violations & Fines
The Police Department (and the Health Department for food or produce) enforces Section 13.03 directly, and failing to conspicuously wear the license while peddling is itself a violation even for an otherwise validly licensed peddler. A license may be suspended, revoked, or not renewed on 10 days' written notice from the City Attorney or City Clerk for lacking good moral character, violating the section's terms, or conducting business in a manner injurious to public health, safety, or welfare, with a hearing before the Finance Committee or Common Council. Section 13.031 separately makes it unlawful for any business to hire or use an unlicensed peddler, with each day of such use a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door sellers need a permit in Kenosha?
What hours can peddlers work in Kenosha neighborhoods?
How much does a Kenosha peddler's license cost and how long does it last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha
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