Springfield, Missouri: 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. Anyone soliciting or selling door-to-door for compensation must register with the Director of Finance before soliciting (§ 86-2), and a paid solicitor or demonstrator must hold a business license as a solicitor (§ 70-84).
• Where it comes from: The Finance Department, Licensing Division, issues the license (Chapter 70), and registration under the Public Solicitations chapter is filed with the Director of Finance (Chapter 86).
• Fee: $15.00 for each solicitor or 'demonstrator-solicitor' working for a distributor that sells door-to-door (§ 70-84(65), (67)); if the rep does not fit a more specific category, the catch-all 'solicitation agency' rate is $25.00 for the agency plus $15.00 for each solicitor (§ 70-84(125)).
• Hours you may knock: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The code bars knocking on doors or otherwise disturbing residents 'between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.,' whether the solicitor is licensed or not (§ 86-7).
• What the rep carries: City-issued identification, which 'shall be carried by the licensee or agent...so that it is available at all times while the licensee is soliciting in the city' (§ 86-37).
• What takes the time: A soliciting supervisor must file a $5,000.00 surety bond with the application (§ 86-35); a professional solicitor's application requires two recent photographs and disclosure of any felony, misdemeanor or ordinance conviction (§ 86-32).
• Code: Springfield City Code, Chapter 86 — Public Solicitations (§§ 86-1–86-44), and the license-fee schedule at § 70-84.
• Worth knowing: A property posted 'No Peddlers' or 'No Solicitors' at the entry may not be entered by any solicitor, licensed or not (§ 86-6).
• Read it yourself: Springfield City Code Chapter 86, Public Solicitations · Springfield City Code § 70-84, business and occupational license fee schedule · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Chapter 86 defines 'public solicitation' as sales made 'on the direct or implied plea that such solicitation or sale is for charitable, educational, fraternal, civic, patriotic, religious or philanthropic purposes' — does a purely commercial, for-profit sales rep (e.g. fiber, solar) fall under this chapter at all? Which business-license category applies to a door-to-door fiber or telecom sales rep — Distributor (§70-84(65)/(67)), Solicitation agency (§70-84(125)), or another? Is the $5,000 soliciting-supervisor bond (§86-35) required for a commercial sales team's local manager? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________