Allentown, Pennsylvania: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a solicitor's license is required before going door to door, for each individual solicitor, unless the person already holds a City business privilege license or is only selling to businesses (§ 437-1).
• Where it comes from: The Department of Finance issues the license, after the Chief of Police investigates the applicant's business and moral character (§ 437-3, § 437-4).
• Fee: $50 per calendar year, nonrefundable, per the Department of Finance's application fee (§ 437-5A).
• Hours you may knock: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (§ 437-1B).
• What the rep carries: A license card reading "Licensed Solicitor," carried at all times while soliciting and shown to any citizen who asks (§ 437-6, § 437-7).
• What takes the time: A Police Department investigation of the applicant's business and moral character before the license is approved (§ 437-4A).
• Code: Allentown City Code, Chapter 437, Article I, Solicitors and Canvassers (§ 437-1 – § 437-14).
• Worth knowing: All licenses expire December 31 of the year issued, no matter when in the year they were bought (§ 437-12). "Canvassers" (survey, opinion, religious, political or noncommercial door-to-door activity) are a separate, unlicensed category under this chapter — that exemption does not cover for-profit sales (§ 437-2, § 437-3D).
• Read it yourself: Allentown City Code Chapter 437, Article I · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Does the $50 fee cover one rep for the whole team, or does each rep on the crew need a separate $50 license and investigation? How long does the Chief of Police's background investigation typically take? Is there a separate photo or fingerprinting step, or is the license card issued straight after the investigation? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________