San Ramon, California: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a solicitor's permit before anyone goes door to door selling (B7-145). The code's solicitor is anyone going house to house taking orders for goods or for services to be performed in the future (B7-143), so fiber, solar, pest and security reps are covered. The permit is issued to the applicant and cannot be used by anyone else (B7-158), so every rep needs one.
• Where it comes from: San Ramon Police Department, 2401 Crow Canyon Road, on its Solicitor's Permit Application. The code still says "sheriff" for the issuing officer (B7-151, B7-156).
• Fee: The city's Master Fee Schedule FY2026-27 lists Solicitor Permit Fees at $304 per permit. Fingerprints are extra: Livescan $35 for a city resident or $45 for a non-resident, plus DOJ and FBI fees. The police application form still lists older figures — a $5.00 application fee and fingerprint rolling at $30/resident, $50/non-resident plus a DOJ fee of $32 — and the code's own fee article (B7-152, B7-160) is written in words and far lower. The FY2026-27 schedule is the newest document read.
• Hours you may knock: No peddling or soliciting between sunset and sunrise (B7-148). The code gives no clock times.
• What the rep carries: An identification card supplied by the issuing officer, attached to clothing where the people you talk to can see it, and the permit itself, shown to anyone who asks (B7-159).
• What takes the time: Fingerprints, two head-and-shoulder photographs, a sworn application with seven years of past jobs and addresses, proof you are over 18 and may work in the U.S., credentials tying you to your employer, and a background investigation (B7-151, B7-154). Each applicant must also file a $5,000 liability insurance policy or bond, per the police application form (the code sets the bond at five thousand dollars, B7-161). The permit runs up to one year (B7-157). No processing time is published.
• Code: San Ramon Municipal Code, Title B, Division B7, Chapter VII — Solicitors and Peddlers (B7-141 to B7-164), adopted by Ord. 230 (1992) from the Contra Costa County code, which is why it still names the sheriff, tax collector and board of supervisors.
• Worth knowing: No soliciting at any home posted with a clearly visible "No Peddlers or Solicitors" sign or words of the same import (B7-148). The fine schedule lists soliciting without a permit (B7-145) at not to exceed $300. The company also needs a San Ramon business license — the Master Fee Schedule lists the general business license at $341 a year.
• Read it yourself: San Ramon Municipal Code, Chapter VII — Solicitors and Peddlers (enCodePlus) · San Ramon Police Department — Solicitor's Permit Application (PDF) · City of San Ramon — Master Fee Schedule FY26-27 (PDF) · checked 21 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether the $304 permit fee is the whole charge per rep, or whether the $5.00 application fee on the form still applies on top
• Whether the $5,000 liability policy or bond can be one company policy covering every rep
• How many days from a complete application and fingerprints to an issued permit and ID card

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________