St. Louis, MO Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $1/day, $10/month, or $15/year
- Surety bond required
- $1,000
- Badge
- Must display on police demand
- Application history
- 5-year home address list
- Issuing office
- License Collector
Summary
Door-to-door solicitors, canvassers, and peddlers in St. Louis must buy a license from the License Collector, $1 a day, $10 a month, or $15 a year, post a $1,000 surety bond, and wear a badge carrying their certificate whenever working the City's streets.
"Drummer, solicitor, or canvasser" means any individual, whether a resident of this City or not, traveling by foot, wagon, automobile, motor truck, any other type of conveyance, or calls made by phone, from place to place, or from street to street, taking or attempting to take orders for sale of goods, wares, or merchandise... within this City. The license fee for drummers, solicitors, or canvassers shall be: One dollar per day, ten dollars per month, fifteen dollars per year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
St. Louis Revised Code Section 8.06.452 requires anyone canvassing house-to-house or business-to-business, on foot, by vehicle, or even by phone, to take orders for future delivery of goods or services to hold a City license as a drummer, solicitor, or canvasser. Applicants must list their name and home address for the preceding five years, describe the products sold, name their employer, and post a $1,000 surety bond guaranteeing money collected is applied as represented and goods delivered as promised. Each licensee carries a badge holding the certificate and must display it on demand to police or tax officials while working.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance forfeits the $1,000 surety bond to cover any amount owed the City. Police or tax officials can demand the badge on the spot; soliciting without a current license and badge is a licensing violation under Section 8.06.452.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to go door-to-door selling in St. Louis?
How much does the St. Louis solicitor license cost?
Can a solicitor's license be handed off to a coworker?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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