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Ventura, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

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

Key Facts

Registration issuer
Ventura police chief
Registration fee
$2.00
ID required
Photograph and fingerprints
Certificate term
Up to 1 year
Telephone solicitor fee
$15/day up to $400/year
Exempt
Invited guests, wholesale calls on businesses

Summary

Anyone who peddles, hawks or solicits orders door-to-door in the City of Ventura without a fixed local business must first register with the police chief and pay the required license tax, under San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 6.200.070. Registration means appearing in person for photographing and fingerprinting, paying a $2.00 fee, and carrying the certificate while soliciting.

It is unlawful for any person who does not maintain or is not employed at an established place of business in the city to engage in the business of peddler, hawker, transient or itinerant merchant, solicitor, drummer or canvasser unless such person shall have first obtained a certificate of registration from the chief of police and have paid their license tax pursuant to Title 4, where applicable. ... A fee of $2.00 to defray the costs and expenses of registration and investigation shall be paid into the general fund of the city prior to issuance of a registration form.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).

Full Breakdown

070(A) makes it unlawful for a peddler, hawker, transient or itinerant merchant, solicitor, drummer or canvasser without an established place of business in Ventura to work the city without first obtaining a certificate of registration from the chief of police and paying the applicable license tax under Title 4. 070(B)-(E)). 070(F)). 080(A)-(E)). 080(F)-(H)). 070(G)).

Violations & Fines

Soliciting, peddling or canvassing house-to-house in Ventura without first obtaining the chief of police's certificate of registration violates Section 6.200.070(A). A registrant who lets the information on file go stale, such as a new address or employer, must obtain a new certificate before continuing to solicit under Section 6.200.080(F), and any registrant who cannot produce the certificate on an officer's or resident's request is out of compliance with Section 6.200.080(H).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to sell magazines door-to-door in Ventura?
Yes, unless you already run an established place of business in the city. Section 6.200.070(A) requires peddlers, hawkers, itinerant merchants and solicitors without a fixed local business to register with the chief of police and pay the license tax before going door-to-door.
What does registering as a solicitor in Ventura involve?
You appear in person at the police department, give your name, address, employer and any conviction history, get photographed and fingerprinted, sign the registration form, and pay a $2.00 fee; the police then run a background check through the FBI and the state before issuing the certificate (6.200.080).
Are telephone solicitors covered by this ordinance?
Yes. Telephone solicitors making uninvited calls into Ventura owe a business license fee starting at $15.00 per day if their employer has not held a city license for at least 12 months, on top of the registration requirement in Section 6.200.070(G).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Ventura

All Ventura rules

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