Anaheim, California: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — two things per rep. Anyone going door to door offering goods or services is a “solicitor” and may not work without first getting a solicitor’s permit (4.52.010). The permit is on top of a City of Anaheim business license (4.52.020.030), and it is unlawful to solicit without both in the rep’s possession (4.52.040.020). The permit is per person: the application takes the applicant’s photograph, five years of addresses and conviction history.
• Where it comes from: The Revenue Manager issues the permit on the city’s form, and uses the Anaheim Police Department to investigate the application (4.52.020.010). The city’s Guide to Establish and Conduct a Business in Anaheim lists Peddlers/Solicitors among the licenses referred to the Police Department; Business License office, 714-765-5194. The code is hosted by American Legal, Chapter 4.52.
• Fee: The solicitor’s permit fee is “an amount established by the Revenue Manager” (4.52.020.010); the code prints no figure and no city page read posts one. The business license tax is in the code (3.32.060): a rep soliciting retail sales for future delivery pays one hundred dollars per year, or ten dollars per year if the company holds a principal’s license, which costs two hundred fifty dollars annually and requires a list of every rep (3.32.060.020 and .030). A rep who peddles and delivers on the spot pays fifty dollars per year, or ten dollars under a principal’s license (3.32.060.010). The city’s FAQ adds a minimum $37 non-refundable processing charge on any initial or renewed license application.
• Hours you may knock: The solicitor sections of Chapter 4.52 (4.52.010 to 4.52.040) set no knocking hours. No clock times appear in them.
• What the rep carries: A valid solicitor’s permit and a valid City of Anaheim business license, both in the rep’s possession while soliciting (4.52.040.020). The city’s guide says a business with no fixed address must carry the license on the person and present it on request.
• What takes the time: The Police Department investigation of the application. The code says the permit shall be issued if a fully completed application has been pending or under investigation more than fifteen (15) days (4.52.020.020). The application needs a passport-size photograph, five years of former addresses, and a list of felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor convictions for the previous five years, signed under penalty of perjury. The business license needs a sales tax number where sales tax applies (3.32.060.040). The permit is good for one year.
• Code: Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 4.52, Solicitors and Sidewalk Vendors: permit required (4.52.010), application (4.52.020), revocation (4.52.030), unlawful conduct (4.52.040). License tax: 3.32.060, Peddlers and Solicitors. American Legal shows the code current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026.
• Worth knowing: A company can take out a principal’s license and drop each rep’s license tax to ten dollars per year, but it must file a list of all its solicitors and report every personnel change in writing within five days (3.32.060.030). No soliciting on the grounds of the stadium, convention center or other city facilities without the city’s written consent (4.52.040.010). A violation is an infraction (4.52.040.040). The solicitor sections read contain no “No Soliciting” sign rule.
• Read it yourself: Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 4.52, Solicitors and Sidewalk Vendors · Anaheim Municipal Code 4.52.010 · Anaheim Municipal Code 4.52.020 · Anaheim Municipal Code 4.52.030 · Anaheim Municipal Code 4.52.040 · Anaheim Municipal Code 3.32.060, Peddlers and Solicitors · American Legal, Anaheim overview (currency statement) · City of Anaheim: A Guide to Establish and Conduct a Business in Anaheim, CA · City of Anaheim FAQ: Is there a processing fee for the business license? · Anaheim Municipal Code page · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: What is the solicitor's permit fee set by the Revenue Manager, per rep? Does a rep taking orders for later installation pay the one hundred dollar or the fifty dollar license tax? Does any other section set knocking hours or a No Soliciting sign rule? How long does the Police Department investigation actually take? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________