New Hanover County, NC Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Foot peddler fee
- $10.00 annual license tax
- Vehicle/farm peddler fee
- $25.00 annual license tax
- License transfer
- Non-assignable, § 14-103(i)(1)
- Carry requirement
- License must be shown on request
- Unlicensed peddling penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine ≥20% of tax
- Applies where
- Unincorporated New Hanover County only
Summary
Anyone who peddles goods door-to-door in unincorporated New Hanover County, on foot or by vehicle, must hold a privilege license under County Code § 14-131(23) before making a single sale. Foot peddlers pay $10.00, vehicle and farm-product peddlers pay $25.00, several categories are exempt, and the peddler must carry the license at all times.
(23)Peddlers (G.S. 105-53). Any person who travels from place to place with an inventory of goods, who sells the goods at retail or offers the goods for sale at retail, and who delivers the identical goods he carries with him. .....a.Peddler who travels from place to place on foot, selling goods other than or in addition to farm products .....10.00b.Peddler who travels from place to place by vehicle, selling goods other than or in addition to farm products .....25.00c.Peddler of farm products .....25.00 ... A peddler shall have the license required by this section and the retail sales tax license with him at all times that he offers goods for sale, and he must produce them upon the request of any customer or state or local revenue or law enforcement agent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 15 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
00. Section 14-131(23)(d) exempts peddlers of farm or nursery products they grew, crafts or household property they made, nonprofit charitable or civic organizations, sellers of printed material, fuel wood, ice, seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, bread or pies, disabled wartime veterans who are state residents, and anyone who makes at least 90 percent of sales from a fixed location. A vehicle peddler must also get the property owner's or lessee's written permission to sell there and display it. Under § 14-103(a) a peddler applies to the tax collector before the tax is due, and under § 14-103(i)(1) a peddler's license is expressly non-assignable to another person. '
Violations & Fines
Peddling without paying the tax, without a valid license, or without posting/carrying it violates § 14-104(k)(1), a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment in the court's discretion, with the fine set no lower than 20 percent of the tax due, plus the tax and costs. Each day of unlicensed peddling is a separate offense. The county may also seek an injunction under § 14-104(k)(2) and G.S. 153A-123, and a false statement on the license application is itself a separate misdemeanor under § 14-103(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in New Hanover County?
How much is the peddler license fee?
Is anyone exempt from the peddler license?
What happens if I peddle without the license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Hanover County
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