Kokomo, IN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Kokomo Code of Ordinances Chapter 116 requires any itinerant merchant, peddler, or solicitor to obtain a license from the City Controller before working door to door in the City of Kokomo, per § 116.02. The requirement covers anyone who travels house to house selling goods, taking orders, or soliciting by telephone; it exempts not-for-profit fundraising and businesses that have operated from a fixed city location for a full year before the chapter's enactment. Applicants file a sworn written application with the City Controller under § 116.03, listing the applicant's identity, the goods or services offered, any vehicle used, and whether the applicant has a criminal record; food peddlers must also submit a physician's statement of good health dated within ten days of applying, and every applicant submits two 2x2-inch photographs and two letters of recommendation on moral character.

The City Controller fingerprints each applicant under § 116.04 and investigates business reputation and character under § 116.06 before approving or denying the license under § 116.07, which allows denial for moral-turpitude convictions, fraud, or an unsatisfactory moral character record. The fee is $10 under § 116.05, and under § 116.10 the license expires 90 days after issuance and, per § 116.11, cannot be transferred. Licensees must wear a City Controller-issued badge showing their picture, license number, and expiration date under § 116.12, and peddling or soliciting house to house is limited to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. under § 116.13.

The Mayor may revoke a license under §§ 116.14 and 116.15 for fraud, chapter violations, or a felony conviction, after mailing written notice at least ten days before a hearing; § 116.16 lets an aggrieved applicant appeal to the Common Council within 14 days, and the Council's ruling is final.