Fort Wayne, Indiana: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes, if the team sells goods. Fort Wayne has no solicitor or peddler chapter; the only chapter on point is Transient Merchants, and it covers anyone doing temporary business for 120 days or less "in traveling from place to place in this city, offering for sale or selling goods, wares or merchandise" (117.01). Selling without the permit is unlawful (117.02). The chapter speaks of goods, wares and merchandise and does not mention services, so whether a fiber, pest or security sign-up counts is a question for the police Records Bureau.
• Where it comes from: The Fort Wayne Police Department Records Bureau. The application is filed "with the Chief of Police or his/her agent" (117.03), and the city's Transient Merchant Permit page takes it online through the city's NextRequest portal. The application form has lines for additional employees on the same permit.
• Fee: $250 per permit (117.06(A)). The police page words it as a "$250 fee if applicant does not submit current IN Retail License or proof of Not-For-Profit status". The code does not say the fee is per rep; the form lists employees under one applicant.
• Hours you may knock: None set. Chapter 117 has no hours section, and the code has no door-to-door chapter that sets knocking hours. The application asks for the dates and times you will do business (117.03(A)(5)).
• What the rep carries: The permit. The code says to display it "in a prominent area" where business is done (117.09); the police page says it "must be displayed or readily available for Law Enforcement if requested".
• What takes the time: File at least five business days before the first day (117.06(A)). The police investigate the applicant's "business reputation, moral character and criminal background" (117.03(B)). The code still lists fingerprints taken by the Fort Wayne Police Department (117.03(A)(8)), but the police page says "fingerprints no longer required". A government photo ID goes in with the application.
• Code: Fort Wayne Code of Ordinances, Chapter 117, Transient Merchants and Ice Cream Vendors (117.01 to 117.09, 117.99; Ord. G-4-15, passed 4-14-15). The host shows the code current through Ord. G-19-26, passed 7-14-26.
• Worth knowing: The permit runs 120 days and is not transferable (117.06, 117.07, police page). The penalty for a violation of the chapter is a fine of $2,500; each day is a separate offense (117.99). Selling goods in the street right-of-way to people in vehicles is separately banned on major arterial streets (99.010); that section is about street sales, not doors.
• Read it yourself: City of Fort Wayne, City Code page · Fort Wayne Code Chapter 117 (section list) · Fort Wayne Code 117.02 · Fort Wayne Code 117.03 · Fort Wayne Code 117.06 · Fort Wayne Code 117.09 · Fort Wayne Code 117.99 · Fort Wayne Code 99.010 · Fort Wayne Police, Transient Merchant Permit · Transient Merchant Permit Application (PDF) · Fort Wayne code overview (currency statement) · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Does the Chapter 117 transient merchant permit apply to door-to-door sales of a service (internet, pest control, security), or only to goods? Is the $250 one permit for the company with reps listed on it, or does each rep pay? Does the $250 drop or go away if we show an Indiana Retail Merchant Certificate? Is there any rule on knocking hours or No Soliciting signs? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________