Bowling Green, Kentucky: door-to-door solicitor permit

Partly read: the permit answer is sourced, but the fee or the hours could not be read from the city’s own pages. The clerk questions below cover the gap.

• The answer: Yes — a transient permit as a peddler. A peddler is any entity passing through the city temporarily to buy, sell or exchange goods or services, including door to door (18-2.01), and the chapter names solicitors and salespersons (18-2.02). No peddler or its representatives may do business until the representatives have the permit (18-2.03).
• Where it comes from: The Chief Financial Officer, through the Occupational License Division (18-2.04). The city's instructions send applications to PO Box 1410 or the City Hall Annex, 1017 College Street.
• Fee: A daily fee per company, based on how many reps work in the city: twenty-five ($25.00) dollars a day for three or fewer, minimum one hundred ($100.00) dollars covering four consecutive days; fifty ($50.00) dollars a day for four or more, minimum two hundred ($200.00) dollars covering four consecutive days (18-2.05(g)). The city's current transient application lists the same rates. Working before buying the permit adds a late charge of up to half the fee; a duplicate permit is five dollars ($5.00) (18-2.06).
• Hours you may knock: Not read. Chapter 18 sets no hours; the full code on American Legal could not be opened to check other chapters.
• What the rep carries: The permit, in the rep's immediate possession at all times while working, shown on demand to a city official (18-2.04(b)).
• What takes the time: The application lists every rep's name, address, phone, Social Security number and other personal data (18-2.04(a)), and the fee is paid up front with it. No background check or processing time is written in Chapter 18.
• Code: Bowling Green Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 — Occupational License Fees and Taxes, Subchapter 18-2 — Transient Businesses, Transient Professional Services, Peddlers and Transient Contractors (18-2.01 to 18-2.08), read from the city's posted copy of Ordinance BG2008-8. Later amendments were not checked.
• Worth knowing: Only peddlers who are not going door to door need the property owner's written permission and a displayed permit sign (18-2.04(c), 18-2.05(g)). Transient registrants do not file the employee withholding or annual net profit returns, per the city's Occupational License page.
• Read it yourself: Bowling Green Code, Chapter 18 (Ordinance BG2008-8), Subchapter 18-2 — Peddlers · City of Bowling Green — Transient application and instructions (peddlers) · City of Bowling Green — Office of Occupational License · City of Bowling Green — Code of Ordinances page · checked 22 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether the city sets door-to-door knocking hours anywhere outside Chapter 18
• Whether each rep gets his or her own permit card, and whether a background check is run
• Whether the four-or-more rate is a flat $50.00 a day however many reps work, and whether a long blitz can be paid by the month

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________