Fort Smith, Arkansas: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — but it is a company registration, not a permit per rep. No rep may do residential door-to-door selling unless the legal entity they represent has a current registration on file with the city (13-226). Door-to-door selling covers goods or services, delivered now or later, at homes without a prior appointment (13-206).
• Where it comes from: The city collector, or another agent named by the city administrator, on the city's forms (13-227). The form asks for the local supervisor or manager, the company's legal name, home office and registered agent, the dates of the campaign, and the last three cities the supervisor worked.
• Fee: $150.00 for each registration (13-228). A registration lasts no longer than 14 calendar days (13-229), so a longer campaign means another registration.
• Hours you may knock: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. No door-to-door selling at any time on Sundays. The hours bind everyone, registered or not (13-210).
• What the rep carries: The code sets no badge or permit card for reps. Each rep must give their name, the company represented and the purpose of the call right after the greeting, before entering the home (13-213).
• What takes the time: Only the company registration form. The code requires no background check, fingerprints or bond, and publishes no processing time.
• Code: Fort Smith Municipal Code, Chapter 13, Article VIII — Peddlers (13-206 to 13-231), hours, fee and duration last amended by Ord. No. 18-19 (3-5-2019). Municode shows the code codified through Ordinance No. 126-24, enacted December 3, 2024 (Supp. No. 4).
• Worth knowing: No approaching a home or business with a "no solicitation" or "no solicitors" sign (13-231). Leave when the occupant asks (13-212). The state home solicitation sales law, A.C.A. § 4-89-101 et seq., is adopted into the city code (13-209). No selling or soliciting orders on sidewalks in business areas (13-214). A registration can be suspended or revoked for good cause (13-230).
• Read it yourself: Fort Smith Code, Chapter 13, Article VIII — Peddlers · Fort Smith Code of Ordinances — Municode landing page · checked 21 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Which office takes the registration today and whether the form can be filed online
• Whether back-to-back 14-day registrations are allowed for a longer campaign
• Whether the company also needs a Fort Smith business license

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________