Medford, MA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Section 14-311, adopted by Ordinance No. 554 in 1990, requires any door-to-door salesperson, hawker, peddler or business entity selling wares or services in a non-stationary location within Medford's residential districts to file an application with the city clerk before soliciting. The clerk forwards the application to the chief of police for a background check and only issues the license once the check clears, the applicant's identification is confirmed by the police department, and the required fees are paid; Appendix A sets both an upfront application fee and a per-week, per-day fee for the license.

Every applicant must also post a $1,000.00 bond at the time of filing, though religious, charitable and nonprofit organizations that have operated in Massachusetts for at least two years are excused from both the bond and the fee. Once licensed, § 14-312, added in 1991, confines all solicitation to the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and bars it entirely on Sundays and holidays. Section 14-314 layers on additional conduct rules for hawkers and peddlers generally: no crying out wares, using a bell, gong or horn to attract customers, selling within 500 feet of a school between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on school days, or remaining in one fixed spot on a street or lot for more than ten minutes unless actually making a sale. Section 14-316 assigns enforcement to any police officer, the code enforcement officer, or a building department inspector designated by the building commissioner.