Lafayette, Indiana: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a peddler or solicitor license from the city (4.09.020). A solicitor is anyone, employer or employee, going house to house taking orders for goods for future delivery or for services to be performed in the future (4.09.010). The application is made in the applicant's own name, with the applicant's own photos and criminal history (4.09.040), and every solicitor carries the license issued to him or her (4.09.090).
• Where it comes from: Applications go to the City Controller (4.09.040). The Police Department investigates each applicant and makes a recommendation; the Controller issues or denies the license (4.09.050, 4.09.080).
• Fee: $200.00 for a peddler or solicitor license (4.09.070). The code does not say whether that is per rep or per company. A license expires 180 days after issuance (4.09.080).
• Hours you may knock: No in-person door-to-door sales before eight a.m. or after eight p.m. (4.09.100(A)).
• What the rep carries: The license, at all times while soliciting, shown on request to the Police Department or to a potential customer (4.09.090).
• What takes the time: A police investigation of each applicant before the Controller decides (4.09.050). The application needs name, home address, driver's license number, the company represented, any vehicle, the products or services, a list of all felony and misdemeanor convictions, a local complaint contact for 60 days after the last sale, and two 2x2 photos taken within 60 days (4.09.040). A felony within seven years, or certain misdemeanors (fraud, deceit, dishonesty, battery) within five years, makes an applicant ineligible (4.09.050). A rep who uses a vehicle files a certificate of liability insurance (4.09.060). No processing time is published.
• Code: Lafayette Municipal Code, Title 4 — Business Licensing and Regulations, Chapter 4.09 — Peddlers and Solicitors (4.09.010 to 4.09.990), enacted by Ord. 2013-17. Municode shows the code codified through Ordinance No. 2026-16, passed May 4, 2026 (Supp. No. 60).
• Worth knowing: No ringing or knocking where a "No solicitors or peddlers" sign is posted (4.09.100(B)). The license rules do not apply to a person granted direct marketing authority by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission under Indiana Code 8-1-34-30, but that person is still bound by the conduct rules in 4.09.100, including the hours (4.09.030(C)). Penalty: a fine of not more than $1,000.00, each day a separate offense (4.09.990).
• Read it yourself: Lafayette Municipal Code, Chapter 4.09 — Peddlers and Solicitors · Lafayette Municipal Code — landing page · checked 23 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether the $200.00 license is per rep or per company, and how long the police review takes
• Whether reps for a fiber or video provider are covered by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission direct marketing exemption in 4.09.030(C), and what proof the city wants
• Whether the license can be applied for online or must be filed in person at the Controller's office

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________