West Haven, CT Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing agency
- West Haven Police Department
- Application fee
- $250, paid with the completed application
- License fee
- $150, paid with the completed application
- License term
- One year, with a photo identification badge
- Crew cap
- Five licensed individuals per business or entity at a time
- Applies to
- People over 16 soliciting orders for future delivery
- Unlicensed fine
- $250 for each residence solicited
Summary
In the City of West Haven, Connecticut, anyone over 16 who solicits orders for future delivery door to door, on a street or highway, or by telephone needs a license from the West Haven Police Department first. The application fee is $250, the license fee is $150, and an approved license lasts one year.
It shall be unlawful for any person over 16 years of age to solicit orders of purchase for future delivery of any goods, wares or merchandise, including magazines and other printed matter, from door to door or on any street or highway within, or by telephone from and within the City of West Haven without first obtaining a license to solicit from the Police Department of the City of West Haven as provided in § 174-3 and 174-4 hereof. ... (1) Applications shall be completed in full and notarized. (2) A background check authorization form shall be completed and submitted with the application. ... (4) An application fee of $250 and a license fee of $150 shall be paid upon submission of the completed application. ... ... C. Any single business or entity shall be limited to five individuals so licensed to solicit on its behalf at any given time. ... If approved, the applicant will be provided with a one-year license to solicit in the City of West Haven, contingent upon adherence to all rules and regulations set forth herein, and be issued a photo identification badge.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 174 of the West Haven Code, Peddling and Soliciting, was adopted by the City Council of the City of West Haven in 1964 and amended in its entirety on 5-12-2025. Section 174-1 makes it unlawful for any person over 16 years of age to solicit orders of purchase for future delivery of goods, wares or merchandise, including magazines and other printed matter, from door to door or on any street or highway within the city, or by telephone from and within the City of West Haven, without first obtaining a license to solicit from the Police Department.
Applications are available at the West Haven Police Department Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., excluding holidays. Under § 174-3 the application must be completed in full and notarized. It must be filed with a background check authorization form, a signed solicitor violation acknowledgement form, and identification satisfactory to the Police Department that contains a specimen of the applicant's signature and fingerprints. The $250 application fee and the $150 license fee are both due when the completed application is submitted.
The code also caps crews. Any single business or entity is limited to five individuals licensed to solicit on its behalf at any given time.
Section 174-4 puts the decision with the Police Department, which approves or denies the license based on the information provided. An approved applicant receives a one-year license, contingent on adherence to all rules and regulations in the chapter, and is issued a photo identification badge. The Department has the discretion and authority to deny a license based on an unfavorable background check. Under § 174-5 the license is nontransferable, and the holder must carry the badge at all times while soliciting and show it on request to any West Haven police officer or any purchaser or prospective purchaser. A license does not permit entry into privately policed areas (§ 174-2), and the chapter does not apply to salesmen selling goods to retail or wholesale stores for resale (§ 174-7).
Violations & Fines
Unlicensed soliciting violates Chapter 174 of the West Haven Code and carries a fine of $250 for each residence solicited (§ 174-6 A). A license is revoked upon any conviction of any crime or misdemeanor under the chapter, or involving moral turpitude, and that person cannot solicit in the city again without reapplying for and obtaining a new license (§ 174-6 B).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Haven
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