Virginia Beach, VA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Virginia Beach Police Department
- Application fee
- $20, non-refundable
- Maximum term
- 12 months; expires December 31
- Background check window
- 7-year criminal history review
- No-Solicitation sign violation
- Class 3/2 misdemeanor despite valid permit
Summary
Virginia Beach requires a $20 police-issued permit before going door-to-door to sell goods or take orders at private residences, with permits capped at 12 months and expiring every December 31st.
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in soliciting, selling or taking orders for goods, wares, merchandise, publications, any article for future delivery, or any service or commodity whatsoever upon the premises of any private residence, apartment house, or other place of human habitation not having been requested or invited to do so by the owner or occupant thereof, in the city, unless he has a current permit so to do from the Police Department (hereinafter "Department").
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Anyone going door-to-door in Virginia Beach to sell goods, take orders, or solicit at private homes must first get a permit from the Police Department under City Code § 26-26. The $20 application (§ 26-32) requires the Police Chief to run a criminal-history check, and permits can be denied for fraud, misrepresentation, or a felony within the past seven years (§ 26-34). Permits max out at 12 months and expire every December 31 regardless of issue date (§ 26-36). Soliciting a residence that posts a 'No Solicitation' sign is a separate misdemeanor even with a valid permit (§ 26-26(c)).
Violations & Fines
Soliciting without a permit is a Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 26-1); ignoring a posted 'No Solicitation' sign is a Class 3 misdemeanor for a first offense, Class 2 for repeat offenses within 12 months (§ 26-26(c)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do charities need this permit too?
Can I be denied a permit for a past conviction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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