New Castle County regulates door-to-door solicitors under NCC Code Chapter 25 (Peddlers and Solicitors). Commercial solicitors must obtain a county solicitor permit, submit to a background check, and display a visible ID badge while canvassing. Permitted hours are generally 9 AM to dusk or 8 PM. Religious and political canvassing are exempt under First Amendment protections. Violations can trigger criminal trespass under 11 Del.C. §823.
New Castle County regulates door-to-door sales and solicitation under NCC Code Chapter 25 (Peddlers, Solicitors, and Canvassers) or the equivalent county licensing provisions. Commercial solicitors offering goods or services (roofing, windows, landscaping, home security, utility resellers) must apply for a county permit through NCC Department of Finance or Land Use, submit to a criminal background check, and pay a fee. Approved solicitors receive an ID badge that must be visibly displayed while canvassing. Permits are typically valid 30 to 90 days. Canvassing hours are restricted, commonly 9 AM to dusk or 8 PM, prohibiting early morning or late evening door-knocking. Religious canvassers (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons), political campaign workers, and charitable nonprofits are generally exempt from the permit requirement under First Amendment protections established in Martin v. Struthers (1943) and Watchtower v. Stratton (2002). Residents displaying a No Soliciting sign at the property or driveway entrance can invoke criminal trespass under 11 Del.C. §823 if commercial solicitors ignore the notice. Wilmington and Newark have their own municipal solicitor permit programs. Roofing scam enforcement after storms is a perennial New Castle County concern, especially in Brandywine Hundred, Hockessin, and Pike Creek.
Soliciting without permit: $100 to $500 NCC citation. Violating hour restrictions: $100 to $250. Failure to display badge or produce on request: $50 to $200. Ignoring posted No Soliciting sign: potential criminal trespass under 11 Del.C. §823, misdemeanor.
New Castle County, DE
New Castle County permits gas and electric leaf blower use with no statewide or county ban. Operation hours align with the county noise ordinance (NCC Code C...
New Castle County, DE
Amplified sound in unincorporated New Castle County is regulated under NCC Code Chapter 22 (noise) and the county's special event permit process. Sound must ...
New Castle County, DE
Wilmington restricts overnight on-street parking 2 AM to 6 AM in posted zones and requires residential permits in many neighborhoods. Unincorporated New Cast...
New Castle County, DE
New Castle County requires electrical permits for Level 2 EV chargers. Delaware law (26 Del. C. §1018) preempts HOA bans on EV chargers. Public stations must...
New Castle County, DE
New Castle County requires a building permit for retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing to top of wall. Walls supporting surcharge loads...
New Castle County, DE
New Castle County regulates fence materials through the Unified Development Code (UDC), primarily Article 40 (zoning). Wood, vinyl, composite, wrought iron, ...
See how New Castle County's solicitor permits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.