Fargo, North Dakota: 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 solicitations permit, plus a sub-permit for each individual rep. 'It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit or act as a peddler within the corporate limits of the city of Fargo without first obtaining a solicitation permit. If the applicant is a firm, corporation, association, club, partnership, society or other organization, each individual who is employed by or acting on behalf of such organization shall be required to obtain a sub-permit' (§ 25-0502).
• Where it comes from: The City Auditor issues the permit and sub-permits, on approval of the Chief of Police and the city's five-member Solicitations Board (§§ 25-0503, 25-0504, 25-0507(B)).
• Fee: The code sets no dollar figure; it only says 'fees for the solicitations permit and sub-permits shall be as established by resolution of the board of city commissioners and shall be payable at the city auditor's office' (§ 25-0507(C)). That fee resolution was not found on a primary city page in this session.
• Hours you may knock: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 'There shall be no solicitation upon any premises prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., local time, of any day, other than upon prior invitation of the occupant of any such premises' (§ 25-0510(F)).
• What the rep carries: The solicitations permit (or a duplicate), which 'shall be carried at all times by the solicitor and shall be exhibited when requested to do so by any police officer or any person contacted' (§ 25-0510(A)).
• What takes the time: The Solicitations Board investigates the application and must find the applicant has 'good character and reputation for honesty and integrity' and has not engaged in fraud before authorizing issuance (§§ 25-0505, 25-0506). Permits and sub-permits expire 90 days after issuance unless the Board sets a different term (§ 25-0507(D)).
• Code: Fargo Municipal Code, Chapter 25, Article 25-05 — Peddlers and Solicitors (§§ 25-0501–25-0512).
• Worth knowing: The permit requirement does not apply to 'solicitations conducted by persons who have a permanent residence or permanent place of business in Cass County, North Dakota, or Clay County, Minnesota' (§ 25-0502(H)) — so a crew based outside that two-county area is not exempt. A posted 'NO SOLICITORS' sign at least 3 by 4 inches bars entry without invitation (§ 25-0510(E)); at most two reps may work the same premises at once (§ 25-0510(G)); and the same premises may not be solicited more than once for the same goods or services in a six-month period without a fresh invitation (§ 25-0510(H)).
• Read it yourself: Fargo Municipal Code Article 25-05, Peddlers and Solicitors · City of Fargo Business & Occupational Licensing · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: What is the current dollar fee for the solicitations permit and for each individual sub-permit, per the city commission's fee resolution under §25-0507(C)? How long does Solicitations Board review typically take before the 90-day permit term starts running? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________