Palm Springs, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Manager via Police Department
- Application lead time
- 30 calendar days minimum
- Background check
- Livescan fingerprinting required
- Fee
- Set by City Council resolution
- Permit status
- Not assignable or transferable
- Appeal window
- 10 calendar days
- Revocation penalty
- 1-year ineligibility for new permit
Summary
Anyone doing commercial solicitation in Palm Springs, door-to-door sales, canvassing, contract signing, must get a City Manager-issued solicitation permit through the police department at least 30 days ahead, backed by Livescan fingerprinting and a background check under Municipal Code Section 5.48.015. Soliciting without one is a standalone violation, and permit revocation carries a one-year ban on reapplying.
The following provisions shall apply to permits for commercial solicitation: 1. If a person is soliciting on behalf of, or is employed to solicit by, another person (as defined in Section 5.48.010), both the person soliciting and the employer or other person upon whose behalf solicitation is being made must have valid solicitation permits as set forth in this Chapter and business tax certificates as set forth in Chapter 4.10, even if such persons are exempt from payment of any license fee or business tax. ... Proof of Livescan fingerprinting. Fingerprinting must be done at the city police department. ... The applica ... tion shall be submitted under penalty of perjury and be submitted to the police department at least 30 calendar days prior to the time the solicitor requests to engage in solicitation. ... Every act prohibited and every failure to perform an act made mandatory by this Chapter shall be punishable as provided for in Section 1.01.140 of the Code and be subject to revocation of a solicitation permit and be ineligible to receive a new solicitation permit for a period of one year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
48. 10 even if otherwise exempt from the tax itself. 020(A)(1). 4), and proof of Livescan fingerprinting done in person at the police department. The completed application, sworn under penalty of perjury, must reach police at least 30 calendar days before solicitation is set to begin, together with a fee set by City Council resolution. The City Manager may add conditions to the permit for public health, safety or welfare, and permits are neither assignable nor transferable between people. 020(B): only the organization, not each volunteer, needs the permit, and 501(c)(3) status or school-affiliation documentation substitutes for the background check. 035.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting in Palm Springs without a valid permit violates Section 5.48.050(A) and is punishable under Section 1.01.140 of the Municipal Code, the City's general penalty section, enforced by the Palm Springs Police Department. Beyond criminal penalties, Section 5.48.070(B) lets the City revoke the offender's solicitation permit and bars them from receiving a new one for a full year, and the same one-year bar applies to permits denied for false statements about criminal history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door salespeople need a permit in Palm Springs?
How do I apply for a Palm Springs solicitor permit?
What happens if my Palm Springs solicitor permit is revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
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