Odessa, Texas: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes. A rep who makes personal contact at a residence to sell a good or service is a "peddler" under the code, and no person may act as a peddler in the city without first getting a permit (§ 4-6-1, § 4-6-9(a)).
• Where it comes from: Application is filed with the city's billing and collection department; the police department investigates and issues the photo-ID permit card (§ 4-6-9(g), (i), (k)).
• Fee: $120.00 per 90 days for a peddler permit (§ 4-6-9(d)(1)). Sales at a set price or requested donation of $20 or less per unit are exempt from the fee, but that carve-out does not fit an ongoing service sale like door-to-door fiber.
• Hours you may knock: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. — a peddler may not enter another's property outside those hours without an express invitation (§ 4-6-9(m)(5); also § 4-6-6(a)).
• What the rep carries: The police-issued photo identification permit card, worn on the outer clothing or otherwise displayed so it is reasonably visible to anyone approached (§ 4-6-9(k)).
• What takes the time: The police department investigates the truth of the application; the permit must be issued within 24 business hours of a completed application unless the applicant has a disqualifying felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor conviction within the past seven years or gave false information (§ 4-6-9(g)). A permit runs 5 to 90 days (§ 4-6-9(e)).
• Code: Odessa City Code, Article 4-6 — Peddlers and Itinerant Vendors (§ 4-6-1 through § 4-6-9).
• Worth knowing: It is unlawful to enter property posted with a "no soliciting"/"no solicitors" sign in the front yard or on the door, or to use any entrance but the front or main one (§ 4-6-9(m)(1)-(3)). A permit can be denied for a felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor conviction within the past seven years (§ 4-6-9(g)(1)-(2)). Violations are a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500, each day a separate offense (§ 4-6-9(o)).
• Read it yourself: Odessa City Code, Art. 4-6 — Peddlers and Itinerant Vendors · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Whether a multi-rep crew can be permitted and billed together at the billing and collection department, or each rep applies individually; Whether a 90-day fiber blitz that runs longer needs a fresh $120 permit at the 90-day mark. Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________