Shoreline, WA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- before house-to-house sales, § 5.07.610/.620
- Carry requirement
- at all times while soliciting, § 5.07.650
- Order rules
- written, duplicate, permit number, § 5.07.640
- Exemptions
- newspaper carriers, campaign workers, 501(c)(3)s
- Violation
- misdemeanor under state law, § 5.07.100
Summary
Anyone selling goods or services door-to-door in the City of Shoreline as a solicitor or master solicitor must obtain a city license before canvassing, under SMC §§ 5.07.610 and 5.07.620. Licensed solicitors must carry their license at all times while soliciting and produce it on request from police, city officials, or the person approached (§ 5.07.650); every sales order must be written in duplicate and identify the solicitor's permit number (§ 5.07.640).
§ 5.07.610. Definitions. ... A. A “master solicitor” is a person or firm which employs or uses agents or employees to act as solicitors. B. A “solicitor” is any person who sells, offers for or exposes for sale or who trades, deals or traffics in any services, magazines, periodicals or any other personal property at retail in the city, by going from house to house or by indiscriminately approaching individuals ... ... § 5.07.640. License regulations – Order requirements. All orders taken by licensed solicitors shall be in writing, in duplicate, stating the name of the solicitor, as it appears on the license, the solicitor’s permit number as issued under this chapter, the address of both the solicitor and their employer, the terms of the order of agreement, and the amount of money or checks paid to the solicitor. ... ... § 5.07.650. Carrying license required. The solicitor’s license shall be carried at all times when soliciting or canvassing in the city and shall be exhibited whenever requested to do so by a police officer, any city official, or any persons solicited or canvassed.
Full Breakdown
Shoreline defines a "solicitor" as anyone who sells or offers goods, services, magazines, or periodicals at retail by going house to house or approaching individuals indiscriminately, and a "master solicitor" as a person or firm that employs agents to solicit on its behalf (SMC § 5.07.610). Both must file a written license application with the city clerk before working in Shoreline (§ 5.07.620). The chapter exempts wholesale-to-dealer sales, daily or weekly newspaper delivery, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit solicitation backed by proof of that status, and political campaign workers or petition circulators (§ 5.07.630).
Every sales order a licensed solicitor takes must be written in duplicate, naming the solicitor as shown on the license, the solicitor's permit number, both the solicitor's and employer's addresses, the agreement terms, and any money or checks collected, with one copy delivered to the purchaser (§ 5.07.640). Solicitors must carry their city license at all times while soliciting or canvassing and show it whenever a police officer, city official, or a solicited resident asks to see it (§ 5.07.650). Because solicitor licensing falls under Chapter 5.07's general provisions, applications go through the same clerk review and appeal process as other regulatory business licenses (§ 5.07.060), and any violation of the chapter is a misdemeanor punished under state law (§ 5.07.100).
Violations & Fines
Soliciting door-to-door without a city license, failing to carry the license while canvassing, or failing to provide a written duplicate order to a customer are unlawful under SMC §§ 5.07.610, 5.07.640, and 5.07.650, and any violation of Chapter 5.07 is a misdemeanor under § 5.07.100, punished according to state law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell door-to-door in Shoreline?
Are charity fundraisers exempt from Shoreline's solicitor license?
What must a solicitor show a Shoreline resident who asks?
Sources & Official References
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