Carmel, Indiana: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a door-to-door vendor license from the Carmel Police Department, taken out by the company (the vendor) with every rep named on the application, plus a non-transferable identification badge for each rep (4-26, per the police department's license page). The rule covers any uninvited in-person selling of commercial products, services or property to people on residential property.
• Where it comes from: The Carmel Police Department. The vendor files the application with a Secretary of State registration to do business in Indiana; each rep then appears in person at the Police Department, and the Chief of Police approves or denies.
• Fee: Per the police department's license page: a $50 non-refundable application fee and a $500 Surety Bond from the vendor; a $20 non-refundable criminal history fee per solicitor; a license fee of $3 per rep identification card; and the license itself — 10 Day License - $15, 120 Day License - $90, 1 Year License - $180.
• Hours you may knock: Between 9 am and dusk (4-26(c)(1), as quoted on the police department's page).
• What the rep carries: The city ID badge, worn. The page says failure to wear the badge may bring a citation under 4-26, and badges are released only to the person named on them, who must show a government-issued photo ID to pick it up.
• What takes the time: Every rep appears in person to sign disclosure and authorization statements, then a criminal history check is requested through an outside vendor; the Chief of Police approves or denies once the reports are back, and approved reps return in person for the badge. No processing time is published.
• Code: Carmel City Code 4-26 — Door-to-Door Vendors. The code text on American Legal could not be read (bot wall); every fact here is from the Carmel Police Department's Door-to-Door Vendor License page.
• Worth knowing: The license and badge do not let a rep ignore "no solicitation" signs or a request to leave (4-26(c)(3)). The page lists a fine of $400 for each violation, each day a new offense, and says the city may seek a restraining order and its attorney fees.
• Read it yourself: Carmel Police Department — Door-to-Door Vendor License · Carmel City Code 4-26 — Door-to-Door Vendors (American Legal, not read: bot wall) · checked 21 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether the $500 surety bond is per company or per rep
• How long the outside-vendor criminal history check usually takes
• Whether the $15 / $90 / $180 license fee is per company or per rep

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________