Oakland County itself has no countywide door-to-door solicitor permit ordinance. Permits are issued at the city, village, or township level — and every Oakland County municipality (Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Township, Clawson, Oakland Charter Township, Orion Township, etc.) requires non-exempt commercial solicitors to obtain a permit from the local clerk before going door to door. Fees commonly range from $50–$100 per applicant and licenses run 60–180 days. Background checks through the local police agency are standard. Religious, political, and recognized non-profit canvassers are typically exempt from the permit (though some communities require a free registration). Under the Michigan Home Solicitation Sales Act (MCL 445.111 et seq., Act 227 of 1971), any in-home sale of $25 or more must include a written three-day right-to-cancel notice regardless of whether the seller is permitted locally.
Because Oakland County is governed by its 62 cities, villages and townships rather than a unified county code, anyone soliciting door to door in the county must check with the clerk for the specific municipality where they intend to work. Typical local steps are: (1) submit a written application listing identification, vehicle and product information; (2) pay the application fee (Orion Township charges $50 for a 180-day permit under Ordinance 95; Oakland Charter Township charges $100 per person non-refundable, with the license expiring after 60 days); (3) submit to a criminal background check through the local police department; (4) receive a photo permit badge that must be worn or displayed on demand while soliciting; and (5) observe local hours restrictions (usually no soliciting before 9:00 a.m. or after sunset / 8:00 p.m., and never on Sundays in some communities). Statewide consumer-protection law, the Home Solicitation Sales Act (MCL 445.111–445.117), requires that any in-home sale of $25 or more give the buyer written notice of a right to cancel by midnight of the third business day, and contracts that fail to include that notice are voidable.
Soliciting without the required municipal permit is generally a misdemeanor or civil infraction under the local code, with fines that commonly run $100–$500 per occurrence plus possible imprisonment up to 90 days. A failure to honor the three-day right to cancel under MCL 445.113 makes the contract unenforceable and exposes the seller to civil damages and Attorney General enforcement under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Refusing to leave when asked, misrepresenting affiliation, or operating after the permit has expired or been revoked are additional offenses in nearly every Oakland County municipal code.
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