Oxnard, California: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes, per person. Anyone who peddles, solicits or canvasses in a residential area, whether an independent contractor or a certificant's employee, must hold an annual vendor permit from the license collector, and the certificant itself must hold a business tax certificate (11-46 A, B).
• Where it comes from: Oxnard City Code Chapter 11, Article I, Division 3, Section 11-46. Permits come from the license collector; fingerprinting is done by the Police Department and processed through the California Department of Justice.
• Fee: Not a number in the code. The annual vendor permit fee is "established by resolution of the city council," and the applicant separately pays an annual fee for the state DOJ fingerprint report (11-46 B, C) — neither dollar figure appears in Chapter 11 itself.
• Hours you may knock: In residential areas, no person may peddle, canvass or solicit before 7:00 a.m. or sunrise, whichever is later, or after 7:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier (11-48).
• What the rep carries: The business tax certificate (or a photocopy), the vendor permit, and the identification document filed with the collector — a driver's license, passport or similar photo ID (11-46 H, C).
• What takes the time: The DOJ fingerprint report. If it is not back within 30 days of fingerprinting, the collector issues a temporary permit on request that lasts until the real report comes back and the application is granted or denied (11-46 G). The report also screens for certain convictions or no-contest pleas within the prior seven years (11-46 D).
• Code: Oxnard City Code 11-45 through 11-49 (`64 Code, Sec. 16-41; Ord. No. 2456, 2519, 2731, 2820, 2838).
• Worth knowing: A conviction or no-contest plea within the prior seven years for a listed offense (violent crimes, theft-type crimes, certain drug offenses, or a registrable sex offense) is grounds to deny the certificate or permit outright (11-46 D, E). A denied applicant can request a hearing within 14 days, with a hearing fee set by resolution (11-49).
• Read it yourself: Oxnard City Code 11-46 · Oxnard City Code 11-48 · Oxnard City Code 11-49 · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: What is the current annual vendor permit fee, and the current DOJ fingerprint report fee? What is the underlying business tax certificate rate for a peddler/solicitor classification under Division 2? How is the city's residential-area map defined — does it cover the whole city or specific zones? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________