St. Joseph, 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 — a city license. No one may do business in St. Joseph without first buying a license (8-37(a)), and the city's Hawker-Huckster-Peddler Application says each person going door to door must show a state-issued ID or cannot go door to door. Which license class covers a rep taking orders for a service is not confirmed: the fee schedule has separate peddler, transient merchant and salesman classes (8-67).
• Where it comes from: The director of finance issues city licenses (8-38, 8-253). The application form says it is filed with the Customer Assistance Department. A separate Solicitor Information form collects the company, group leader, dates in town, areas worked and vehicles, and is emailed to the police.
• Fee: The license fee schedule prints amounts without a dollar sign. Peddler on foot, per person: per day 2.00, per month 5.00, per year 50.00 (8-67, Peddler). Transient merchant, which includes selling house to house from samples or by taking orders: 10.00 a day for the first ten days, then 5.00 a day (8-67, Merchant, transient). Which class the city applies to a service rep is not confirmed.
• Hours you may knock: Peddlers may sell at residences only between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (8-261).
• What the rep carries: A peddler carries the license and shows it to any police officer or any other person on request (8-254). The application form requires a copy of a state-issued ID for each person working.
• What takes the time: The application asks for the business owner's Social Security number, the federal employer ID and Missouri sales tax ID numbers, vehicle details and the number of days working; any money owed to the city is paid before the license issues. The Solicitor Information form asks for a state-issued picture ID and Social Security number for the group leader and each rep. No processing time is published.
• Code: St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 — Businesses: Article II — Licenses and Permits Generally (8-36 to 8-68, fee schedule at 8-67) and Article V — Peddlers, Hawkers and Hucksters (8-251 to 8-261). Municode shows the code codified through Ordinance No. 3140, enacted February 2, 2026 (Supp. No. 8).
• Worth knowing: No going onto a property with a "no trespassing" or "no peddlers or agents" sign near the entrance, and no selling after being asked not to (8-258). City licenses expire June 30 each year unless a shorter term is set (8-52).
• Read it yourself: St. Joseph Code, Chapter 8, Article II — Licenses and Permits Generally · St. Joseph Code, Chapter 8, Article V — Peddlers, Hawkers and Hucksters · St. Joseph Code of Ordinances — landing page · City of St. Joseph — Hawker-Huckster-Peddler Application (PDF) · City of St. Joseph — Solicitor Information form (PDF) · checked 23 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Which license class a door-to-door rep taking orders for a service (such as fiber internet) buys: peddler, transient merchant or salesman
• Whether that license is per rep or per company, and the fee in dollars
• How long the Customer Assistance Department takes to issue the license once the application and IDs are in

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________