Taunton, MA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Taunton Code § 337-4 requires anyone who solicits money, goods, magazines, periodicals or other merchandise on a public street, in a public place or public building, or by knocking door to door on private property to obtain a written license from the Chief of Police before starting. The application must give the solicitor's name and residence, the name and address of the person or organization the solicitor represents, and evidence of the applicant's honesty, moral character and identity. Applicants must apply at least 45 days before the date they want to begin soliciting, a lead time that rules out same-week canvassing drives.

The same licensing requirement extends to telephone solicitation that either originates or terminates within Taunton, covering calls placed from inside or outside the city limits, with a narrow carve-out for representatives of recognized newspapers, magazines, licensed broadcasters, licensed cable operators and government agencies. Every license the Chief of Police issues is good for one calendar day only, and the issuing authority can also set the hours during which solicitation may occur and attach any other restriction it deems necessary to protect the public. The Chief may terminate a license at any time for a violation of the section or on a complaint of misconduct or other just cause.

Where a solicitation is conducted through paid collectors working on commission or a percentage of receipts, each collector must independently hold a license, and the solicitor must disclose the commission arrangement, the organization represented, and the solicitor's true name and address to every person contacted. Filing a false statement on the application, whether as principal or through an agent, is separately prohibited.