Toledo, Ohio: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a license. No person may engage in "Direct Solicitation" without first getting a license and paying the fee (745.02(a)). Direct Solicitation means soliciting or selling goods or services at the home or residence of the buyer, and it does not cover a sale where the buyer made the first contact (745.01(c)).
• Where it comes from: Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 745, Peddlers, in Part 7, Business Regulation. Licenses under Part 7 are issued under the Department of Finance, Division of Taxation and Treasury (701.02). The city's Business Licenses page posts its application forms by name and none is labeled peddler or solicitor, so ask Treasury for the form.
• Fee: $50.00 per year for a person traveling on foot; $100.00 per year for a person traveling with a vehicle propelled by power (745.02(a)). The code defines "Person" to include a corporation as well as an individual (745.01(d)), so it does not say in plain words whether each rep pays. No license fee is prorated (701.07(b)).
• Hours you may knock: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. October through March, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. April through September (745.02(b)). The section lists no day-of-week exception.
• What the rep carries: Chapter 745 names no badge or ID card. Ask Treasury what the rep is issued and must show.
• What takes the time: Any investigation. Where a license needs another department to check the character or fitness of the applicant, that department reports back to the Director of Finance within ten days (701.04(a)). Chapter 745 itself lists no background check, fingerprinting or bond. 745.02(a) also points to Chapter 1313, which was not read.
• It expires: March 31 each year, unless the code says otherwise (701.07(a)).
• Code: Toledo Municipal Code 745.01 (Definitions), 745.02 (License required; fee; hours of business), 745.99 (Penalty), all Ord. 141-19, passed 4-2-19; 701.02, 701.04 and 701.07 (general licensing). The host shows the code as complete to June 30, 2026.
• Worth knowing: A violation is a fourth-degree misdemeanor and each day is a separate offense (745.99). Chapter 745 has no "No Soliciting" sign rule or registry; its cross references point to the general trespassing section (541.05) and to Ohio's home solicitation sales law (R.C. 1345.21 et seq.).
• Read it yourself: Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 745, Peddlers · Toledo Municipal Code 745.01 · Toledo Municipal Code 745.02 · Toledo Municipal Code 745.99 · Toledo Municipal Code 701.02 · Toledo Municipal Code 701.04 · Toledo Municipal Code 701.07 · Toledo code overview (currency statement) · City of Toledo: Business Licenses (Division of Treasury) · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Is the $50.00 license per rep or per company? Which application form covers Direct Solicitation under Chapter 745, and what does Chapter 1313 add? Is there a background check, and what ID does the rep carry? Does the city enforce "No Soliciting" signs under any section? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________