Rochester, MN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

City Code § 5-14-2 requires every 'door-to-door salesperson,' defined at § 5-14-1 as anyone going place-to-place or house-to-house to sell, solicit orders for, exhibit, or survey about personal property, goods, wares, merchandise or services, to register with the city clerk and carry a signed permit. The registration requirement doesn't apply to anyone already licensed by the state for the activity, to representatives of an organization holding a nonprofit solicitation permit under § 5-14-4, or to route salespeople delivering dairy or other perishable food products. Regardless of registration status, § 5-14-2(c) makes it unlawful to solicit door-to-door between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Under § 5-14-5, an applicant must submit a sworn application with photo identification, current and permanent addresses, a physical description, a description of any vehicle used, the employer's name and address, a description of the goods or services and the areas and dates of planned activity, and disclosure of any prior municipal-ordinance or fraud-related convictions and any prior complaints. The city clerk refers the application to the police department for investigation before registering the applicant and issuing a permit that is valid for up to 30 days from issuance and expires automatically at the end of that period under §§ 5-14-5(b)(12) and 5-14-14.

The city clerk must refuse to register an applicant under § 5-14-7 who was convicted of violating this chapter within the preceding three years, had a registration or similar license revoked for fraud within three years, is under an existing suspension, or was convicted of an offense like fraud, theft or assault within the preceding five years.