Tamarac, FL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Article VIII of Chapter 12 sets up one of the more demanding permit regimes in Tamarac's business tax code. Section 12-147 makes it unlawful for a solicitor or canvasser to operate in the city without a business tax receipt, and Section 12-148 requires a sworn, in-duplicate application listing the applicant's name and addresses, a description of the goods or cause, employer information, a passport-style two-by-two-inch photo taken within the prior sixty days, two character references from county property owners, any criminal or ordinance-violation history, and a physician's statement dated within ten days certifying the applicant is free of contagious disease.

Section 12-149 requires a full investigation of the applicant's business and moral character before the receipt is approved, and disqualifies anyone with fraud in the application, two or more outstanding court judgments, a felony or moral-turpitude conviction within the past three years, or a contagious disease within the past two years. Section 12-150 sets the fee at $50 per month or $250 per year, and Section 12-151 requires a $1,000 surety bond running to the city to guarantee down payments and delivery promises to customers.

Once issued, Section 12-152 requires the permittee to wear a badge reading permitted solicitor visible from ten feet, and Section 12-153 requires carrying and exhibiting the receipt on request. Section 12-154 limits door-to-door activity to 9:00 a.m. through half an hour after sunset, a restriction the city commission adopted specifically because of resident concern about strangers at the door after dark. Section 12-155 allows revocation after notice and hearing for the same grounds that bar issuance, and Section 12-156 gives a denied or revoked applicant the right to appeal to the planning board.