Lake County, IN Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration fee
- $100 to Sheriff's office
- Certificate term
- 3 months, then renew
- Required bond
- $500 surety or cash
- Fine range
- $100-$500 per offense
- Badge replacement fee
- $10
- Issued by
- Lake County Sheriff
Summary
Anyone who wants to sell goods or take orders door-to-door in unincorporated Lake County must first register with the Lake County Sheriff, submit to fingerprinting, and pay a $100 fee for a photo ID badge good for only three months. Selling without that registration certificate is a violation the Sheriff's Department can cite on the spot.
No person or entity shall sell or take orders for any goods, wares, merchandise, or services without first applying for and being issued a registration certificate. An applicant for a registration certificate shall execute an application form at the office of the Lake County Sheriff prior to engaging in any soliciting in the county... The applicant appears at the Sheriff's Department and allows himself or herself to be finger printed. The certificate issued shall be for a period of three months from the date of issuance and shall expire on the date specified in the certificate.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-14: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through 6-9-2026; and State legislation current through Indiana Legislative Service, 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
Lake County, Indiana Code Chapter 111 requires itinerant merchants and door-to-door solicitors working in the unincorporated county to register before making a single sale. 02, an applicant must appear in person at the Lake County Sheriff's office, provide a name, home and local address, a photograph and physical description, the name and address of any principal the applicant represents, a description of what is being sold, and submit to fingerprinting and a signature specimen. The registration is a continuing application: if any of that information changes, the certificate holder has 24 hours to notify the Sheriff's office.
03 requires the Sheriff to issue a dated, signed photo identification badge once the applicant complies, and charges a $100 fee to cover administrative costs plus $10 to replace a lost or stolen badge; each certificate is valid for no more than three months, after which the vendor must reapply or stop selling. 06 additionally requires a $500 surety or cash bond, payable to the Lake County Board of Commissioners, to cover any judgments arising from the solicitor's conduct, and the bond may cover an entire company's agents rather than each individual.
07 exempts newspaper sellers, sellers of home-grown farm or dairy products, merchants with an established place of business in the county selling to other resident merchants, registered nonprofit or civic organizations with a local office, and public safety department fundraising.
Violations & Fines
Selling or taking orders without a valid registration certificate is enforced by the Lake County Sheriff's Department and can result in the certificate being confiscated or the sale being stopped on the spot; § 111.99 sets a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 per offense, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. The Sheriff can also revoke a certificate for fraud, misrepresentation, or violating any condition of § 111.04 after written notice and a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in unincorporated Lake County?
How much does a Lake County solicitor's permit cost?
Is a bond required to solicit door-to-door in Lake County?
Who is exempt from Lake County's solicitor registration requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
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