New Orleans, LA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $50.00 per solicitor/canvasser
- ID card fee
- $5.00 per agent
- Void zones
- Vieux Carré, Convention Center, Riverfront, Lower Riverfront
- Exemption
- Purely voluntary charitable/religious/political canvassing
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000–$2,000 (§1-13)
Summary
Canvassing, soliciting or handing out advertising leaflets on New Orleans streets, sidewalks or house-to-house for a commercial purpose requires a $50.00 department-of-finance permit per solicitor plus a $5.00 ID card per agent under Section 110-222. The permit is void in the Vieux Carré, the Convention Center zone and two riverfront zones.
(a)Any person desiring to use the city streets, sidewalks or public rights-of-way to: (1)Distribute product samples, advertising brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, or commercial literature of any type whatsoever; and/or (2)Canvass or solicit on city streets, sidewalks or house to house for commercial purposes, shall first apply to and receive a permit from the department of finance. Each permit shall be $50.00 for each separate solicitor or canvasser. ... each agent or employee using the permit shall obtain identification cards from the department of finance. Each identification card shall be $5.00 for each agent or employee. ... (c)For purposes of this section "commercial" shall mean to propose a commercial transaction. Religious, political, charitable or other noncommercial groups soliciting or canvassing for purely voluntary donations shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 110-222(a) requires anyone who wants to distribute product samples, advertising brochures, leaflets, pamphlets or commercial literature on city streets, sidewalks or rights-of-way, or to canvass or solicit door-to-house for a commercial purpose, to first get a permit from the department of finance. 00 identification card. Subsection (b) voids the permit inside four precisely mapped districts: the Vieux Carré (Mississippi River to Esplanade to Rampart to Iberville Street); the Convention Center zone; the Riverfront Zone running from Iberville down to Julia Street; and the Lower Riverfront Zone near the Mandeville and Press Street Wharves.
Subsection (c) narrows what counts as regulated activity: only proposing a 'commercial transaction' triggers the permit requirement, so religious, political, charitable or other noncommercial groups canvassing for purely voluntary donations are exempt, unless they also offer an item for sale or at a fixed price, which converts the activity back into a commercial transaction. Holders of certain mayoralty permits under Section 30-69 are separately exempt under subsection (d). Enforcement authority is shared: subsection (e) lets the police department deputize Vieux Carré Commission inspectors with citation power specifically for this section, coordinated with the department of finance.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 110-222's permit or zone requirements is punished under the Code's general penalty, Section 1-13: a fine of up to $1,000.00 for a first offense and up to $2,000.00 for a repeat offense, with the maximum penalty authorized by state law available as an alternative. Vieux Carré Commission inspectors, as well as police, can issue citations for violations inside the excluded zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door salespeople need a permit in New Orleans?
Is charity canvassing exempt from New Orleans' solicitor permit rule?
Where can't I canvass even with a New Orleans solicitor permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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