Livonia, Michigan: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — every solicitor, canvasser or peddler must register with the police department, pay the fee and get a license from the City Clerk before working (5.66.030). The definition covers anyone going door to door taking orders to sell goods or services (5.66.010). Each approved rep gets an identification card (5.66.060).
• Where it comes from: The Livonia City Clerk, 33000 Civic Center Drive, after registration with the police department (5.66.030(B)). No license issues without certification by the chief of police and the health officer (5.66.040).
• Fee: $100 for the company/firm and an additional $25 per employee, per the Clerk's Solicitor Application. The code's fee schedule lists the same two lines — peddler, canvasser and solicitor: firm/company 100.00, individual/employee (each) 25.00 — as annual fees (5.03.170, item 33).
• Hours you may knock: Not before nine a.m. and not later than one-half hour after sunset (5.66.110). Anyone under 18 may not solicit or canvass between five p.m. and nine a.m. (5.03.160).
• What the rep carries: The city identification card, worn on the outer garment in plain view at all times while soliciting; it is nontransferable (5.66.060). The application asks for a 1.5 x 1.5 picture for the ID badge.
• What takes the time: Police registration and certification by the chief of police and health officer (5.66.030, 5.66.040). The application must include a signed consent form, a copy of the driver's license or state ID, and a background-check printout done in the last 30 days — a Michigan ICHAT for Michigan residents, or the ID-issuing state's check for non-residents. The Clerk will not process an incomplete application. No processing time is published.
• Code: Livonia Code of Ordinances, Title 5, Chapter 5.66 — Peddlers, Transient Merchants and Solicitors (5.66.010 to 5.66.110); fees in Chapter 5.03 (5.03.170).
• Worth knowing: A rep may not call on a home after the occupant has said no, or where a sign on the door facing the street says no solicitation is desired (5.66.100). The license year runs December 1st to midnight November 30th unless the code says otherwise (5.03.040), and a late renewal is charged at 110 percent of the license fee (5.03.070).
• Read it yourself: Livonia Code, Chapter 5.66 — Peddlers, Transient Merchants and Solicitors · Livonia Code, Chapter 5.03 — General Licensing Procedure (5.03.170 Fee schedule) · Livonia City Clerk — Solicitor Application (PDF) · checked 21 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• How long police registration and certification take once the application is complete
• Whether each rep must register at the police department in person
• Whether a license bought mid-year is the full $100 plus $25 per rep or is prorated to the November 30th license-year end

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________