El Dorado County, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Sheriff-issued special business license
- Base license fee
- $76 (itinerant/door-to-door)
- License term
- 1 year
- Background check window
- Up to 30 days
- Applies per person
- Separate license for each solicitor
- Exempt
- Nonprofit and newspaper solicitation
Summary
Anyone going door-to-door in unincorporated El Dorado County to sell goods, take orders or solicit for profit needs a special business license from the Sheriff under Section 5.14.020(B), on top of the $76 itinerant-business fee, and must be fingerprinted and photographed before the county will issue it.
A separate license shall be obtained by each solicitor or seller, as set forth in this chapter, even though employed by the same business. A.Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to permit the soliciting of orders, subscriptions, or sale or offer to sell vehicle tire chains at any location excluded by State law or State permit. B.This chapter shall not apply to solicitation or sale by organization whose solicitations are not for profit, or are for the solicitation or sale of newspapers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
020(B)). 050 requires a separate license for each individual solicitor or seller, even if several people work for the same company. 030, which demands the applicant's full name, date of birth, physical description, a passport-style photograph, fingerprints, a description of the applicant's vehicle, the type of merchandise or service being sold, its source and value, and any address where the applicant conducted the same business in the prior six months. The Sheriff has 30 days to complete a background investigation and may deny the license in writing if the applicant omits information, submits false statements, or has a felony, petit theft or moral-turpitude conviction suggesting the business would not be run lawfully. 040). 030, on top of any special-license processing. 050(B).
Violations & Fines
Soliciting door-to-door in unincorporated El Dorado County without the Sheriff-issued special business license is a misdemeanor under Section 5.36.040, with each day of unlicensed solicitation charged as a separate offense, and the Tax Collector or District Attorney can also sue to recover the unpaid license fee as a civil debt (Section 5.36.030). The Sheriff can deny or decline to renew a license outright if the applicant lied on the application or has a disqualifying conviction (Section 5.14.030(H)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in El Dorado County?
What does the solicitor license application involve?
Can the Sheriff turn down my solicitor license?
Is charity or newspaper solicitation covered by this permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California soliciting & door-to-door overview
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