Worcester, MA Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- Worcester Chief of Police
- Application fee
- $10
- License expires
- December 31 each year
- Max fine
- $50 per offense
- Exempt activity
- Charitable, religious, political canvassing
Summary
Anyone going door-to-door in Worcester to sell goods or take orders needs a police-issued solicitor's license under Chapter Eleven, Section 13, unless soliciting for charity, religion or politics. Applicants pay $10, pass a background check, and must wear a badge.
§ 13. Solicitors & Canvassers
(a) It shall be unlawful for any solicitor or canvasser as defined in this section to engage in such business within the city without first obtaining a license therefor in compliance with the provision of this section. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person engaged in the pursuit of soliciting for charitable, benevolent, fraternal, religious or political activities, nor to any person exempted under chapter 101 of the General Laws, or to any person duly licensed under chapter 101 of the General Laws, or to any person exempted by any other General Law, nor shall this section be construed to prevent route salesperson or other persons having established customers to whom they make periodic deliveries from calling upon such customers or from making calls upon prospective customers to solicit an order for future periodic route deliveries.
(m) Any person violating any provision of this sections shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not to exceed fifty dollars for each and every offense.
Full Breakdown
Chapter Eleven, Section 13 (Solicitors and Canvassers) makes it unlawful to engage in soliciting or canvassing within Worcester without a license issued by the chief of police, defining a solicitor or canvasser broadly as anyone who travels house to house or street to street taking or attempting to take retail orders for goods, wares, merchandise or services, including magazine and book sales and home-improvement contracting. c. 101, and route salespeople calling on established customers for periodic deliveries. An applicant files a sworn application with the police department listing name, address, physical description, Social Security number, the length of time the license is wanted, a description of the business, the employer's name and address, any criminal convictions, and vehicle details if a car is used, along with a 2-inch-by-2-inch photograph and a ten-dollar fee.
The police department investigates the applicant's reputation for honesty and lack of fraudulent business practices before approving or denying the license, and every licensed solicitor must wear a police-issued identifying badge on an outer garment while working. c. 255D or use a ruse to gain entry to a home.
Violations & Fines
Misrepresenting a solicitation, violating the badge or licensing requirements, or any other breach of Section 13 is punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of up to fifty dollars for each offense, and Worcester police officers are directed to arrest and prosecute anyone believed to be soliciting in violation of the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to go door-to-door selling in Worcester?
How long does a Worcester solicitor's license last?
What happens if a solicitor lies about my right to cancel a sale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Worcester
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Solicitor Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle solicitor permits.