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Middleton, WI Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

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

Key Facts

Registering authority
City Clerk
Required at filing
Fingerprints, photo, ID
Registration length
1 month
Fee
Set by Section 3.12 Fee Schedule
Charitable solicitors
Free, valid 1 year instead

Summary

Anyone peddling goods door-to-door in Middleton must register as a direct seller with the City Clerk before starting, filing a form with personal and business details, submitting fingerprints and a photo, and paying a fee under the Fee Schedule. Registration under Section 7.05(3) is valid for just one month and can be summarily revoked.

(3)Registration of Direct Sellers(a)Applicants for registration as a direct seller shall complete and return to the City Clerk a signed registration form furnished by the Clerk containing the following information:i.Name, permanent address and telephone number and temporary address, if any, from which the business will be conducted;ii.Age, height, weight, color of hair and eyes; ... (c)At the time of filing the application, a fee as set forth in the Fee Schedule under Section 3.12 shall be paid to the Clerk to cover the cost of processing and investigating the application. The Clerk shall refuse to register the applicant if the application or supporting documents contain any material omission, if the applicant has been arrested or convicted of a crime or ordinance violation, subject to Wis. Stat. §§ 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, or if the Clerk determines that complaints of a material nature have been received against the applicant in any of the last three (3) locations of applicant's operation. ... The registration shall be valid for one (1) month from the date of entry, subject to subsequent summary revocation, as provided below.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

05(3) requires every direct seller, defined broadly to include peddlers, transient merchants and anyone else selling or taking orders door-to-door, to register with the City Clerk before working in Middleton. The registration form must disclose the applicant's name, address and phone number, physical description, the length of time the applicant intends to do business, the vehicle to be used, any prior arrests or convictions, and the applicant's three most recent business locations. 12. The Clerk refers the application to the Chief of Police for review and must refuse registration if the application is incomplete, if the applicant has a disqualifying arrest or conviction record, or if material complaints exist from the applicant's last three business locations; the Clerk otherwise dates and issues the registration.

A direct seller's registration is good for only one (1) month from the date of entry. Certain sellers are exempt from registering altogether, including route deliverers of newspapers or dairy products, wholesalers, permanent merchants taking orders for their existing business, vendors at the Terrace Avenue Market Arcade, and Dane County school or youth-organization fundraisers. 05(5) that runs for one year instead of one month.

Violations & Fines

Selling door-to-door without the Section 7.05(3) registration, or giving false information on the application, exposes the seller to a forfeiture under Section 30.04 and lets the License and Ordinance Committee revoke the registration after notice and hearing under Section 7.05(8); a denied or revoked applicant has fourteen days to appeal in writing to the Common Council.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to sell products door-to-door in Middleton?
Yes. Section 7.05(3) requires anyone acting as a direct seller, including peddlers and transient merchants, to register with the City Clerk before soliciting sales, submitting identification, fingerprints, a photograph and the fee set under the City's Fee Schedule.
How long does a Middleton peddler registration last?
A direct seller's registration is valid for one (1) month from the date the City Clerk enters it, per Section 7.05(3)(c), and it can be summarily revoked earlier if the Chief of Police finds a false statement in the application.
Is a school fundraiser sale exempt from registering?
Yes. Section 7.05(4)(k) exempts Dane County school students and youth organizations such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts from direct-seller registration when they are selling for their own school or program's fundraiser, though other City rules like the calling-hours curfew still apply.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Middleton

All Middleton rules

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