Mission Viejo, California: 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 city license. "Business solicitor or canvasser" and "Peddler" are on the list of businesses that need a license before working in the city (5.01.020). A canvasser is anyone without an established place of business in the city who goes house to house taking orders for goods for future delivery (5.01.010).
• Where it comes from: The issuing officer is the chief of police or his or her designee, in consultation with the director of community development (5.02.010).
• Fee: The code sets no figure: the city council sets each license fee by resolution, and it is not refundable (5.02.030). The city's Master Fee Schedule page posts no police or business-license section, so the solicitor fee was not found.
• Hours you may knock: No knocking-hours section was found. Title 5 (business regulations) and Title 11 (peace, morals and safety) carry no clock times for solicitors; the only rule in the peddler and canvasser division bars misstatements, deception or fraud (5.03.710).
• What the rep carries: A licensee with no place of business in the city must carry the license on his person while working and show it to any peace officer who asks (5.02.090). A license may not be used by anyone other than the licensee or his employee (5.02.120).
• What takes the time: The issuing officer makes whatever investigation he deems necessary before issuing (5.02.060). A felony conviction creates a presumption that the applicant is not of good moral character, which is a ground for denial (5.02.050). The officer may issue one temporary permit of up to 60 days while an application is pending if the wait would cause hardship (5.02.130).
• Code: Mission Viejo Municipal Code, Title 5 — Business Regulations: Chapter 5.01 (definitions, licenses required), Chapter 5.02 (license procedure) and Chapter 5.03 Division 7 — Peddlers, Business Solicitors and Canvassers (5.03.710).
• Worth knowing: A license runs one year from the date issued unless a council resolution says otherwise (5.02.040). Charitable solicitation is a separate chapter (Chapter 11.19) and does not cover for-profit sales.
• Read it yourself: Mission Viejo Municipal Code, Chapter 5.01 — General · Mission Viejo Municipal Code, Chapter 5.02 — License Procedure and General License Requirements · Mission Viejo Municipal Code, 5.03 Division 7 — Peddlers, Business Solicitors and Canvassers · City of Mission Viejo — Master Fee Schedule · checked 21 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• The current fee for a business solicitor or canvasser license, and whether it is per rep or per company
• Whether each rep needs his own license or the company's license covers employees
• Whether the city sets any hours for door-to-door sales outside the municipal code
• How long the police investigation usually takes, and whether Live Scan fingerprints are required

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________