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

New Berlin Code § 152-5 A requires every direct seller, and any employee of one, to hold a license before engaging in direct sales within the City; the chapter treats 'license' and 'permit' as interchangeable terms. Section 152-5 D(1) spells out what the Direct Sellers Permit application must contain: the applicant's name and both permanent and temporary addresses and phone numbers, the name of the company represented, a description of the goods or services offered, the make, model and license number of any vehicle used, the last three cities, villages or towns where the applicant conducted similar business, and where the applicant can be reached for at least seven days after leaving New Berlin.

Critically, item [9] requires a statement disclosing whether the applicant has been charged with or convicted of any crime or ordinance violation tied to transient-merchant business or public safety, such as fraud, burglary, robbery, assault or sexual assault, within the last five years, along with a detailed explanation. Applicants also submit a driver's license or other proof of identity and pay a processing fee plus the annual license fee on file with the Clerk. Under § 152-5 D(2), any applicant operating as a mobile vendor must separately obtain a mobile retail license from the State of Wisconsin or another jurisdiction and keep a copy on file with the City Clerk's office.

The Clerk runs a background check and can deny the license for a material omission, a disqualifying conviction, or unresolved complaints from the applicant's last three jurisdictions; a denial can be appealed to the City Council under § 152-5 G.