Chesterfield County, VA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $20.00 plus background-check cost
- Initial permit length
- 30 days
- Renewal window
- 11 months if filed within 15 days
- Solicitation hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Max criminal penalty
- Class 2 misdemeanor
- Enforcing agency
- Chesterfield Police Chief
Summary
Chesterfield County requires anyone going door to door selling goods or services, or taking orders, to first get a $20 permit from the chief of police. The permit is good for only 30 days and can be renewed for an additional 11 months if the renewal is filed within 15 days of expiration.
No person shall enter into or upon a residential premises within the county for the purpose of soliciting, unless he has received a permit from the chief of police... A permit issued under this article shall be good for 30 days from the date of issuance unless earlier revoked. Every solicitor shall carry his permit with him at all times while engaged in soliciting, and shall display such permit to any person who shall demand to see the permit while he is so engaged.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 15-162 makes it unlawful to enter residential premises to solicit without a permit from the chief of police. 1. 00 plus the state background-check cost, paid to the county treasurer when filed. Under § 15-162(c), a permit is denied if the applicant was convicted within the last ten years of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, or previously had a similar permit revoked; a granted permit lasts only 30 days from issuance and must be carried and shown on demand.
A lapsed permit can be renewed for 11 more months if the renewal application is filed within 15 days after expiration; later filings are treated as brand-new applications. 2, political canvassers, children 12 and under, debt collectors, licensed county businesses other than peddlers and junk dealers, and registered tax-exempt museum representatives.
Violations & Fines
Acting as a solicitor without a permit, or as a permittee entering under false pretenses, refusing to leave when asked, ignoring a posted 'No Soliciting' sign, soliciting outside 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., or failing to provide a duplicate sales order, is a class 2 misdemeanor under § 15-164(c). The chief of police can also revoke a permit for fraud, a disqualifying conviction, or violating the article, with the permittee entitled to a hearing within ten days of a timely written request under § 15-165.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Chesterfield County solicitor permit cost?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
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