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Santa Barbara County, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

License required
County Code Sec. 30-47
Annual license fee
$20 per year
Investigation fee
$20, nonrefundable
Telephone solicitor fee
$15 per year
Issuing office
County Tax Collector
Appeal window
15 days (Sec. 30-55)

Summary

Anyone canvassing, soliciting, or selling door-to-door in unincorporated Santa Barbara County must first secure a license from the county tax collector under County Code Sec. 30-47. The license runs twenty dollars a year plus a nonrefundable twenty-dollar investigation fee, and the sheriff investigates every applicant before the tax collector issues it.

City-specific rules exist: Santa Maria has its own solicitor permits rules that differ from Santa Barbara County's county-level regulations. If you live in Santa Maria, check the city-specific page instead.

No canvasser, solicitor or door-to-door salesman shall engage in such business unless (1) he has first secured a license as provided in this chapter, (2) nor during the time a license is revoked or suspended pursuant to section 30-51 of this article, or (3) during the time an appeal is pending pursuant to section 30-55 of this article.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 30, Article VI covers any canvasser, solicitor, or door-to-door salesman who travels house to house, street to street, or calls by telephone to sell goods or services or take orders for future delivery. Sec. 30-48 requires a sworn application in triplicate to the tax collector, giving the same information transient merchants must disclose under Sec. 30-33, plus a nonrefundable twenty-dollar investigation fee that is credited toward the license fee if granted; the annual license fee itself is twenty dollars. Telephone-only solicitors instead apply for a telephone solicitor's license under Sec.

30-46, which costs fifteen dollars a year plus a fifteen-dollar investigation fee and is restricted to phone solicitation. Two duplicate copies of every application go to the sheriff, who investigates and can recommend denial for a conviction within the prior ten years substantially related to the business, misconduct such as fraud or acts endangering health or safety, dishonesty or deceit for personal gain, required Penal Code Section 290 or Health and Safety Code Section 11590 registration, unpaid license fees, or any prior violation of the chapter (Sec.

30-50). The same grounds, plus a false statement in the application, support suspension or revocation of an existing license under Sec. 30-51. A licensee facing denial, suspension, or revocation may appeal in writing to the Board of Supervisors within fifteen days under Sec. 30-55, and the tax collector can immediately suspend a license on the spot if the solicitor is creating a traffic hazard, subject to that same appeal right (Sec. 30-59).

Violations & Fines

Violating the license requirement, the telephone-solicitor rules, or an immediate traffic-hazard suspension under Sec. 30-59(c) is a separate offense for each day it continues, punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both under the general penalty in Sec. 1-7 (Sec. 30-30). Deputies may demand proof of licensure from any solicitor not personally known to be licensed and enforce the chapter on the spot (Sec. 30-42).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do door-to-door salespeople need a license in unincorporated Santa Barbara County?
Yes. Sec. 30-47 bars any canvasser, solicitor, or door-to-door salesman from operating without first securing a license from the county tax collector, and the license can be pulled at any time for cause under Sec. 30-51.
How much does a solicitor's license cost?
The license fee is twenty dollars per year. Applicants also pay a separate, nonrefundable twenty-dollar investigation fee when they file, which is credited against the license fee if the sheriff clears the application.
Can the county deny my application over a past conviction?
Yes, but only if the conviction occurred within the prior ten years and is substantially related to the solicitation business, per Sec. 30-50. Fraud, dishonesty, or required sex-offender registration are also grounds for denial.
What if I only sell by phone?
Telephone-only sellers apply for a separate telephone solicitor's license under Sec. 30-46, which costs fifteen dollars a year plus a fifteen-dollar investigation fee and is restricted to phone solicitation only.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Santa Barbara County

All Santa Barbara County rules

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