Lakeland, FL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $100.00, chief code enforcement officer
- Governing law
- Lakeland Code § 78-4
- Solicitation hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (8 p.m. DST)
- Transient merchant limit
- 90 days at one location per year
- Weekend option
- Temporary license via police dept.
- Street solicitation
- Banned near vehicles, sidewalks (§ 78-9)
Summary
Anyone canvassing, soliciting, peddling or acting as a transient merchant door-to-door in Lakeland must first get a permit from the chief code enforcement officer and pay a $100.00 fee under section 78-4. Solicitation at a residence is also barred before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m., extended to 8:00 p.m. during daylight saving time.
In order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the city, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the city to require canvassers, solicitors, peddlers, and transient merchants to obtain a license from the city prior to engaging in any buying, selling, or other transfer of goods or services within the city. ... No person shall engage in business within the city as a canvasser, solicitor, or transient merchant without having first been issued a permit to do so by the chief code enforcement officer or his/her designee upon application and payment of a fee of $100.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22 | Land Development Code: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 78 of the Lakeland Code, Peddlers and Solicitors, opens with a stated city policy in section 78-1: canvassers, solicitors, peddlers and transient merchants must obtain a license before engaging in any buying, selling or transfer of goods or services in the city. Section 78-2 defines a canvasser or solicitor as anyone without a permanent place of business who moves place to place taking orders for goods or future services, and a transient merchant as anyone conducting temporary sales, leasing or delivery business in the city, generally capped at 90 days at the same location within a 12-month period.
00 fee, and, for a transient merchant, the written consent of the property owner plus proof the site is zoned C-2 or C-4 and improved with the parking and restroom access the business needs. The permit issued under subsection (d) states the permit number, the holder's name and business address, and its issuance and expiration dates, and subsection (e) limits it to the specific time and location stated on the application, so soliciting at a second address requires a second permit. when daylight saving time is in effect. the next business day, when the code enforcement office is closed on weekends and holidays.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without a permit, misrepresenting goods or services offered, or violating any provision of Chapter 78 or state or federal law is a municipal ordinance violation under section 78-3, punishable under the general penalty in section 1-14 and revocation of the permit. Section 78-9 separately bans approaching vehicles or exchanging items with occupants on a public street, or obstructing sidewalk traffic while soliciting, and section 78-10 bars the chief code enforcement officer from ever licensing that specific conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Lakeland solicitor's permit cost and who issues it?
What hours can someone go door-to-door soliciting in Lakeland?
Can I get a Lakeland solicitor's permit on a Saturday?
Is there a limit on how long a transient merchant can operate at the same Lakeland location?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakeland
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lakeland to another location·View the Florida soliciting & door-to-door overview
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