West Covina, CA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Sec. 14-188 permit from the license collector
- Solicitation hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only
- Minimum age
- Under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- No Solicitors signs
- Solicitors must skip posted addresses
- Permit expiration
- Expires no later than following June 30
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
West Covina requires anyone going door-to-door to sell goods or take orders to hold a commercial solicitation permit from the city's license collector under Municipal Code Sec. 14-188. Sec. 14-193 confines solicitors to 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., bars solicitors under sixteen unless accompanied by an adult, and bars knocking on any door posted with a "No Solicitors" sign.
(a)No person shall, within the city, conduct or knowingly allow to be conducted on such person's behalf any solicitation, unless the person holds a valid permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this article and the solicitation is conducted in accordance with all of the provisions of this article. ... Sec. 14-193. - Manner of solicitation. (a)Solicitations pursuant to permits under this article shall:(1)Take place only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.;(2)Not be made by any person under the age of sixteen (16) years, unless accompanied by an adult and in compliance with all laws of the State of California; and(3)Not be made at any house, apartment, or other dwelling nor at any business to which is affixed a sign indicating "No Solicitors" or similar indication that no solicitation contact is desired by the occupant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94).
Full Breakdown
To solicit door-to-door for commercial purposes in West Covina, an applicant must file a permit application with the license collector on city forms, declared under penalty of perjury and accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee set by council resolution (Sec. 14-190). The application must disclose the applicant's name, address, date of birth and physical description, the permit holder's identity, the geographic area and dates of the solicitation, and a statement that no listed solicitor has been convicted of specified crimes including robbery, burglary, fraud or embezzlement (Sec.
14-190, Sec. 14-193(c)). The license collector must issue the permit within ten days of filing unless the application is incomplete or discloses a planned violation of Sec. 14-193; if the collector requests corrections, the applicant has ten days to amend and the collector then has five more days to issue the permit (Sec. 14-191). Once issued, a permit runs no later than the following June 30 and is nontransferable (Sec. 14-192, Sec. 14-194). Every solicitor must carry and show a certified copy bearing their own printed name before soliciting (Sec.
14-193(b)(1)). , is barred from any address posted "No Solicitors," and cannot be conducted by anyone under sixteen without an accompanying adult (Sec. 14-193(a)). A permit holder who violates the manner-of-solicitation rules faces suspension, and the license collector must revoke the permit outright for a solicitor's disqualifying conviction; a revoked permit bars any new permit to that holder for one year (Sec. 14-195). Denials and revocations can be appealed in writing to the city clerk within ten days, with the city council hearing the appeal at its next meeting held at least five days later (Sec. 14-195(c),(d)).
Violations & Fines
Soliciting door-to-door without a valid Sec. 14-188 permit, or violating the hours, age or "No Solicitors" rules of Sec. 14-193, is not listed as an infraction in Sec. 1-37.1, so it defaults to a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-37(a): a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do charities need the same permit as door-to-door salespeople in West Covina?
Can I turn away a solicitor at my West Covina home?
How long does a West Covina solicitation permit last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Covina
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