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Livonia, MI Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

License fee (firm)
$100 per business
License fee (individual)
$25 per employee
Certification required
police chief and health officer
Helper limit
1 helper per vehicle
Street stop limit
20 minutes max
Enforcing agency
Livonia Police Department, City Clerk

Summary

Anyone who peddles, canvasses or sells door-to-door in Livonia must register with the police department and get a license from the city clerk before starting. The application discloses the seller's name, address, vehicle and the goods being sold, and no license issues without certification from the police chief and health officer.

It is unlawful for any person, either as principal or agent, to engage in business as a peddler or transient merchant in the city without having first obtained a license in the manner provided in this chapter, and paying the fee prescribed in Section 5.03.170 of this code. ... It is unlawful for any person to use the public streets or public places for the purpose of engaging in the business, occupation or pastime of solicitor, canvasser or peddler as hereinbefore defined without having first registered with the police department, paying the fee prescribed in Section 5.03.170 of this code, and obtaining a license to do so as hereinafter provided.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning: Supplement 3).

Full Breakdown

66 covers any solicitor, canvasser or peddler who goes door-to-door or through public streets and parking lots selling, taking orders for, or offering goods or services, as well as transient merchants who set up temporary retail operations in the city. 020 makes it unlawful to operate as a peddler or transient merchant without a license, and requires the city clerk to check with the treasurer for unpaid personal property tax liens on any auctioned goods before issuing an auction permit. 030 requires solicitors, canvassers and peddlers to first register with the police department and file an application with the city clerk stating their name, residence address, age, the organization they represent, the type of vehicle used, a description of the goods sold, and their method of operation.

040 bars any license from issuing without certification from both the chief of police and the health officer. 060 requires issuance of a nontransferable identification card that must be worn on the outer garment in plain view at all times while working. 070, which caps a licensee at one helper on foot per vehicle. 080 bars noisemaking to attract customers, limits any street stop to 20 minutes, and bars stopping to sell food within 500 feet of an occupied school building while school is in session.

Violations & Fines

Operating as a peddler, canvasser or solicitor without the required license and identification card is a misdemeanor under the citywide penalty in Section 1.12.010, up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. The police chief and health officer can also deny certification outright to an unqualified applicant, and the city can revoke a license for violating any provision of Chapter 5.66.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do door-to-door salespeople need a permit in Livonia?
Yes. Section 5.66.020 makes it unlawful to work as a peddler, canvasser, solicitor or transient merchant in Livonia without first registering with the police department and getting a license from the city clerk, certified by both the police chief and the health officer.
How much does a Livonia solicitor's license cost?
The citywide fee schedule in Section 5.03.170 sets the peddler, canvasser and solicitor fee at $100 for a firm or company and $25 for each individual employee, plus a separate fee for every helper a licensee brings along under Section 5.66.070.
What has to be on a Livonia solicitor's application?
Section 5.66.030 requires the applicant's name, residence address, age, the name of the organization they represent, the type of vehicle used, a description of the goods or services offered, and the method of operation, filed with the city clerk.
Can a Livonia peddler sell fresh meat on the street?
No. Section 5.66.090 bars selling or peddling fresh meat on any street, alley or public place in the city. This sits alongside the 20-minute stop limit and 500-foot school buffer in Section 5.66.080 that govern all street peddling.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Livonia

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