Tuscaloosa, AL Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit type
- Individual solicitor/door-to-door sales permit
- Background check fee
- $25 to Alabama Bureau of Investigation
- ID badge fee
- $20 for police-issued photo ID
- Permit term
- 30 days from issuance
- Allowed hours (Sep-May)
- 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Allowed hours (Jun-Aug)
- 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Summary
Anyone going house to house in Tuscaloosa to sell goods or take orders needs an individual solicitor permit under Sec. 7-19, on top of a business license held by the firm they represent. The permit requires a state criminal background check, a police-issued photo ID, and limits soliciting to set daytime hours that shrink in the school year.
454393 Solicitor/door to door sales. All such licenses shall be subject to the following additional regulations: (1)Individual permit required.a.A solicitor/door to door sales permit shall be required for solicitors defined as: Any person who, by going from house to house and place to place in the city, sells or takes order for, or offers to sell or take orders for goods, wares, merchandise, newspapers, magazine, periodicals, or other publications, or any article or thing for future delivery...c.All persons receiving a solicitor/door to door sales permit shall only solicit during the following hours:1.September through May, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.2.June, July and August, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.3.No door to door sales shall be conducted on holidays recognized by the city or between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 7-19's NAICS classification 454393, "Solicitor/door to door sales," layers a full permitting scheme onto the ordinary business license. " Applicants apply through the revenue department, provide picture identification, disclose the firm they represent (which must separately hold its own business license), describe what they're selling, and disclose any past felony, misdemeanor, or ordinance conviction. Applicants pay $25 by cashier's check or money order for a state criminal background check processed through the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, plus $20 for the police department's picture identification badge, which must be worn visibly at all times while soliciting.
Permits run 30 days from issuance. and noon on Sunday. The chief of police or revenue director can suspend a permit for fraud, misrepresentation, violating permit conditions, a disqualifying conviction, or creating a public nuisance, with a 10-day window to appeal a suspension in writing to the city clerk for a final decision by the city council.
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without both the picture-ID permit and a separately purchased solicitor's license is unlawful under Sec. 7-19(5)(a), as is soliciting outside the permitted hours or days under Sec. 7-19(5)(b). No permit issues to anyone previously convicted of violating the article or whose permit was suspended or revoked, and fraud, a disqualifying conviction, or a public nuisance can get an active permit suspended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I go door to door in Tuscaloosa without a permit if my employer already has a business license?
What hours can solicitors work in Tuscaloosa?
Can my solicitor permit be taken away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tuscaloosa
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