Youngstown, OH Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)

Under Youngstown Codified Ordinances Chapter 762, anyone who wants to sell goods, take orders, or solicit magazine or newspaper subscriptions door-to-door in the City of Youngstown, Ohio must first register with the Youngstown Police Chief. Section 762.04 requires a written application submitted in duplicate, along with a valid Ohio (or other state) driver's license or ID card for inspection and copying. The applicant must disclose their name, address and Social Security number, any vehicles used in the business, their employer's contact information, a description of the goods or services offered, and any past criminal convictions.

A $150 registration fee, paid to the City of Youngstown, covers the cost of examination and issuance of stamped credentials, which the Youngstown Police Department provides in weatherproof form. Registration is denied to anyone who gave false information or who was convicted of a felony or misdemeanor theft, fraud, burglary, violence, or sex offense within the past five years, and it can be revoked on the same grounds after issuance. Credentials expire at the close of the calendar year or after six months, whichever is later, must be carried at all times while peddling, and cannot be assigned or transferred.

Anyone under eighteen needs a parent, guardian or employer to co-sign the application. Section 762.03 makes it illegal to enter residential property to peddle without holding a valid, current registration, and Section 762.08 requires the peddler to display the stamped credential and present it on request. The rule applies citywide to for-profit peddling; it does not cover the separate charitable and political solicitation activities defined elsewhere in the same chapter.