Kent, WA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC 5.07.020
- License fee
- $10 master, $2 to $5 per solicitor/year
- Background check
- Kent police chief investigates applicants
- License expires
- December 31 each year
- Penalty
- Up to $300 fine, 90 days jail
- Exemptions
- Charities, youth groups, wholesale sellers
Summary
Anyone going door-to-door in Kent to sell goods or services must first obtain a solicitor's license from the finance director under KCC 5.07.020, after a police background check. Annual license fees run from two to ten dollars, and violators face up to $300 and 90 days in jail.
Solicitor within the meaning of this chapter is to be defined to include: 1. Any person who shall sell, offer or expose for sale or who shall trade, deal or traffic in any services, magazines, periodicals or any other personal property at retail in the city, by going from house to house or from place to place or by indiscriminately approaching individuals... It shall be unlawful for any person to act as solicitor within the meaning of this chapter unless he and/or his employer shall have secured a license therefor in the manner provided by this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
07 defines a solicitor as anyone who sells or offers services, magazines, or other personal property at retail by going house to house or place to place, or by approaching people in a doorway, vacant lot, street, or other spot that is not their fixed place of business; a master solicitor is a person or firm that employs other solicitors. 020 makes it unlawful to act as a solicitor without first securing a license in the manner provided by the chapter. 030, the annual fee is $10 per master solicitor, $2 per solicitor listed under a master solicitor's license, and $5 for a solicitor not tied to a master license; licenses are not transferable.
040, must include the applicant's address, employment history, description of goods or services offered, a personal description, state tax registration number, and, if applicable, a King County food handler's permit. 070 allows the license to issue; the license expires December 31 of the year issued. 100. 110.
Violations & Fines
Acting as a solicitor without a license, or violating any provision of Chapter 5.07, is punishable under KCC 5.07.130 by a fine of up to $300 and up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The city may also revoke a solicitor's license under KCC 5.07.090 for any ordinance or law violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to go door-to-door selling in Kent?
How much does a Kent solicitor's license cost?
Are charities exempt from Kent's solicitor licensing law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle solicitor permits.