Rockford, Illinois: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a solicitation permit from the Finance Department before engaging in 'commercial home merchandising' door to door (§ 24-2).
• Where it comes from: The Finance Department (Customer Service, Business Licenses) issues the permit; the Police Department can also deny or revoke it.
• Fee: $100 for up to one week, $150 up to one month, $225 up to six months, or $325 up to one year, per the city's Schedule of Fees, Rates & Charges.
• Hours you may knock: No solicitation activity on private residential property between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. (§ 24-7(g)).
• What the rep carries: A solicitation permit card, about 2 inches by 4 inches, showing the company name, the solicitor's name and the permit's effective dates, visibly displayed while soliciting (§ 24-9).
• What takes the time: A complete state background check from any agency, with all pages and case dispositions, which cannot be more than three weeks old at the time of a new application (per the city's Solicitors & Peddlers License page); the permit itself is good for 90 days (per that same page).
• Code: Rockford Code of Ordinances §§ 24-1 through 24-17 (Ch. 24, Art. I, general solicitation permit rules) and §§ 24-19–24-22 (Art. II, Commercial Home Merchandisers).
• Worth knowing: A posted 'No Solicitors' or 'No Trespassing' sign on the residence bars entry regardless of whether the rep has a permit (§ 24-6(a)); a rep must leave immediately if the occupant asks, sign or not (§ 24-6(b)).
• Read it yourself: Rockford Code §§ 24-1–24-22, Ch. 24, Solicitors and Peddlers · City of Rockford, Solicitors & Peddlers License page · City of Rockford, Schedule of Fees, Rates & Charges · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: For a fiber sales team running an ongoing campaign, which duration tier ($100/week to $325/year) applies, and is it per rep or per company? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________