Des Moines, Iowa: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a Peddler's License is required before going door-to-door, whether selling goods or taking orders for later delivery (Sec. 78-26, 78-27).
• Where it comes from: Issued by the Des Moines City Clerk's Office, after review with the police department (Sec. 78-29, 78-30).
• Fee: $20 per week, $50 per month, or $100 for three months for the license, plus a cash bond of $200 per person (or $1000 for an employer with five or more license applicants), per the City Clerk's Peddler's License Application.
• Hours you may knock: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. — the code bars peddling between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. (Sec. 78-35(d)).
• What the rep carries: The license itself, and a copy must be left with each prospective customer as evidence of compliance (Sec. 78-31).
• What takes the time: A criminal history background check dated within the last 30 days, from every state of residence for the past five years, plus a minimum three-business-day waiting period on the application (Sec. 78-29, 78-30).
• Code: Des Moines Code of Ordinances, Chapter 78, Article II — Peddlers (§§ 78-25 to 78-35).
• Worth knowing: No peddling within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of a permitted street closure or on a parade route without the permit holder's written permission, and no peddling on any property posted against it (Sec. 78-35). The license is nontransferable and must be issued in the name of the person actually peddling (Sec. 78-32).
• Read it yourself: Des Moines Code of Ordinances, Chapter 78 — Peddlers and Solicitors · Des Moines City Clerk — Peddler's License Application · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Whether the current fee amounts on the printed application ($20/week, $50/month, $100/three months) are still in effect; Whether the peddler's license and bond apply the same way to a service sale (fiber, security, pest) as to a goods sale; Whether Iowa Code Section 555A adds any extra disclosure requirement for the rep. Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________