Dayton, Ohio: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: No door-to-door solicitor license was found in Dayton's code. The only peddler license (Chapter 112, Division 6, Hawkers, Peddlers, and Hucksters) covers a person making retail sales of goods "upon the streets of the city" who "carries his goods with him" and sells on the highways or public grounds (112.90, 112.91). It does not reach a rep going house to house taking orders for a service, and the code has no solicitor, canvasser, transient-merchant or home-solicitation chapter. What still applies at the door: the handbill rules (110.14, 110.15) and the rule against soliciting on private property after being told not to (137.16). If in doubt, use the City Clerk Call Sheet.
• Where it comes from: No office issues a door-to-door permit. The street peddler license in Division 6 comes from the City Accountant (112.91), and it is for selling goods on the streets.
• Fee: None for door-to-door sales of a service — there is no license category for it. The street peddler license, which is for goods carried and sold on the streets, is $25.00 for up to six months (112.91).
• Hours you may knock: Not set. No section sets knocking hours for commercial door-to-door sales. Chapter 137's soliciting rules (137.16) are about places, not hours, and define "solicit" as seeking money or an item of value immediately.
• What the rep carries: Not published.
• What takes the time: Not published.
• Code: Dayton Revised Code of General Ordinances: Chapter 112, Division 6, Hawkers, Peddlers, and Hucksters (112.90–112.102, street sales of goods); Chapter 110, Advertising (110.14–110.16, handbills); Chapter 137, Public Order (137.16, place of soliciting).
• Worth knowing: Flyers and door hangers are where Dayton bites. It is unlawful to throw or deposit handbills or other advertising matter "in or upon any yard, doorstep, porch" (110.14), and unlawful for a person distributing handbills to ring the doorbell or knock to call the resident to the door to receive them (110.15). Separately, 137.16(A)(6) bars soliciting on private property "after an owner, lessee, resident, or agent thereof has given notice to the solicitor that he or she is not permitted to solicit on that property" — though that section defines "solicit" as seeking money or an item of value immediately, which reads like panhandling rather than a signed order for later service.
• Read it yourself: Dayton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 112 — Businesses (full division list) · Dayton Code, Division 6 — Hawkers, Peddlers, and Hucksters · Dayton Code, Chapter 137 — Public Order · Dayton Code, Chapter 110 — Advertising, Division 1 (handbills, 110.14–110.16) · Municode search of the Dayton code (solicitor) · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Does the City Accountant treat a rep taking orders for a service door to door as a "peddler" under 112.90, or is that license only for goods sold on the streets? Is any other registration required for a commercial door-to-door sales team (fiber, security, pest, roofing)? Does 110.15 (no ringing the doorbell to hand out advertising matter) get applied to sales reps who knock to pitch and also leave a flyer? Are any knocking hours enforced? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________