Texas City, TX Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

A PEDDLER is a person who goes from place to place soliciting orders to sell, offering for sale or selling goods, wares or merchandise, including food items, clothing, novelties and toys. Section 115.017 fixes the fees: $25 for three consecutive days, $500 for each calendar year, and $500 for a special Dike permit each calendar year, which requires a current one-year permit first. Yearly permits run from the day of issuance to December 31 and cannot be transferred (§ 115.018). Before a permit issues, the applicant completes the city application, provides proof of liability insurance and a sales tax number, supplies the original county health permit if applicable, has fingerprints taken by the Police Department, and supplies two passport sized color photographs.

The applicant cannot have a felony conviction in the preceding five years or a Class A or B misdemeanor in the past two years, and a convicted sex offender is excluded (§ 115.019). Applications go to the Police Department, where the Police Chief's designee runs the background check and gives written reasons for any disqualification (§ 115.020). Anyone driving a peddler vehicle needs a separate driver's permit: applicants must be 18, hold a valid state driver's license, speak English, and have completed a state approved defensive driving course within 12 months, with a non-refundable $10 fee (§§ 115.023 to 115.025).

Denials and suspensions of driver's permits can be appealed in writing to the Chief of Police within ten business days (§ 115.032). Fund raisers need a different permit under § 115.070 from the Police Chief's designee, valid up to 30 days and renewable. Itinerant vendors selling from private property need a license costing $125 for 90 consecutive days or $25 for three days, applied for at least ten days ahead (§§ 115.049 to 115.051).