Baltimore, Maryland: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: No door-to-door license was found. Article 15, Licensing and Regulation, has no peddler, solicitor or canvasser subtitle; Subtitle 16 is marked repealed. The street vendor license covers selling food or merchandise on a street or from a motor vehicle (15 § 17-1), and the transient merchant license covers someone showing samples in a hotel room, store or other place they do not own or lease (15 § 20-1). Neither definition reaches a rep knocking on doors. The city's own Business Licensing Division page lists every license it issues, and none is for peddlers, solicitors or canvassers. What still applies: the advertising circulars rule for anything left at a home (19 § 1-2), and the transient merchant license if a crew shows samples from a hotel room or rented space (15 § 20-1).
• Where it comes from: The Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing issues the city’s business licenses, including the transient merchant license (15 § 20-2). The Finance Department’s old Business Licenses page says the function was transferred there.
• Fee: None for door-to-door sales, because no city license was found.
• Hours you may knock: The code sets no knocking hours for door-to-door sales. The nighttime soliciting rule in Article 19, Subtitle 47 is about asking for donations in public places, not sales (19 § 47-1).
• What the rep carries: Nothing city-issued was found for door-to-door reps.
• Code: Baltimore City Code, Article 15, Subtitles 16 (repealed), 17 (§ 17-1) and 20 (§§ 20-1, 20-2, 20-4); Article 19, Subtitle 1 (§ 1-2) and Subtitle 47 (§ 47-1). Read on the City of Baltimore Law Library.
• Worth knowing: If a crew works out of a hotel room or rented hall showing samples to take retail orders, that is a transient merchant and the license is $375 for each 60-day period (15 § 20-4). Article 2, Consumer Protections, has a subtitle on unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practices that applies to any seller. Flyers: an advertising circular may not be placed on residential property without the owner's or occupant's permission, except into a door slot or a nonlockable bin (19 § 1-2).
• Read it yourself: Baltimore City Code, Article 15, Licensing and Regulation · Article 15 § 17-1, Definitions (street vendors) · Article 15 § 20-1, Transient merchant defined · Article 15 § 20-2, License required · Article 15 § 20-4, Fee · Article 19 § 47-1, Definitions (soliciting) · Baltimore City Finance, Business Licenses · Baltimore City Code, Article 19, Police Ordinances (full text; § 1-2 advertising circulars) · Baltimore City DCPBL, Business Licensing Division (list of licenses issued) · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Does the Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing require any license or registration for for-profit door-to-door sales? Does any Maryland state license apply to door-to-door reps working in Baltimore City? Is there any city rule on No Soliciting signs or knocking hours? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________