Merced, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Before any door-to-door sale, Sec. 5.08.810
- Application fee
- $5 per new or replacement application
- Background check
- Fingerprints sent to FBI and CA DOJ
- Reviewing official
- Chief of police investigates character
- Revocation grounds
- Fraud, moral turpitude conviction, breach of peace
- Appeal path
- Written notice to city council, Sec. 5.08.920
Summary
Anyone who goes house to house in Merced selling goods or taking orders must obtain a solicitor's license under Municipal Code Section 5.08.810 before knocking on a single door. The finance officer issues the license only after the chief of police fingerprints and investigates the applicant's character, and the permit can be revoked immediately for fraud, a moral-turpitude conviction, or any breach-of-peace conduct while soliciting.
"Solicitor" means any person who goes from house to house or from place to place in the city selling or taking orders for or offering to sell or take orders for goods, wares and merchandise for present or future delivery or for services to be performed immediately or in the future whether such person has, carries or exposes a sample of such goods, wares and merchandise or not and whether he is collecting advance payments on such sales or not. ... It is unlawful for any person to act as solicitor within the city without having first obtained a license issued pursuant to this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
800 defines a 'solicitor' as anyone who goes house to house or place to place in the city selling goods or taking orders for goods or services, whether or not they carry a sample or collect advance payment. 810 makes it unlawful to act as a solicitor in the city without first obtaining a license under this chapter. 860). 850); the fee applies only to individuals, not firms. 870). 880). 890). 900 bars shouting or calling out wares, requires duplicate written orders, and forbids loitering on any street or private property without the owner's consent.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.08.910 lets the chief of police suspend or revoke a solicitor's license immediately for fraud or misrepresentation in the application, any violation of this chapter, a conviction involving moral turpitude, or conducting business in a way that breaches the peace or endangers public health and safety; the revocation is self-executing and takes effect on mailed or delivered notice. A denied or revoked applicant can appeal to the city council under Section 5.08.920 by filing written notice with the city clerk, and the council's decision after a hearing is final.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in Merced?
Can Merced police deny or revoke a solicitor's license?
What must a solicitor do while working in Merced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
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