Waco, Texas: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a "peddler" (someone who makes personal contact with a resident at their residence, without a prior invitation, to sell a good or service) must have a permit before going door to door on private property (13-357, 13-361). A pure canvasser, by contrast, is not required to have a permit (13-361).
• Where it comes from: Waco Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13, Article IX, Division 1 (Prohibited Activities and Outdoor Vending). The application is filed at the city secretary's office, which issues the permit within three business days absent a disqualifying issue (13-362).
• Fee: $25 application fee, due before the city secretary's office begins processing the application. The code itself only says "the city council will set the fee" (13-370); the $25 figure is on the city's own online application form.
• Hours you may knock: One hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset — unless the property owner has posted a different rule (13-364).
• What the rep carries: The permit, worn on the outer clothing or otherwise displayed to be reasonably visible to anyone approached; refusing to show it on request is unlawful (13-367).
• What takes the time: A photograph (at least 2" by 2") or government-issued ID for each rep, date and place of birth, a sworn statement of no disqualifying criminal history (homicide, kidnapping, sexual, assaultive, robbery, felony burglary/theft/fraud/weapons against a person contacted while peddling, public indecency, felony drug offenses), and — for a peddler specifically — the name and address of the company ("principal") and a copy of its Texas sales tax license. The city secretary must issue or deny within three business days (13-362, 13-363).
• Code: Waco Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13, Article IX, Division 1, §§ 13-356 through 13-374.
• Worth knowing: A resident can post a "No Soliciting"/"No Solicitors" sign (front yard, at least 1 square foot, letters at least 2 inches tall) or a door/entranceway sign or sticker — both bar peddlers and canvassers alike, and a rep who enters after seeing one is violating the chapter (13-358). A permit is valid for one year or the requested term, whichever is shorter, and is not transferable between people (13-365, 13-366).
• Read it yourself: Waco Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13, Article IX, Division 1 — Prohibited Activities and Outdoor Vending · City of Waco, Application — Peddler or Door-to-Door Solicitation Permit · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Is $25 still the current application fee, and is it per individual rep or per company? Can a company submit one application covering a whole team's photos/IDs at once, or does each rep apply separately? Does the city secretary's office process applications faster than the 3-business-day maximum during a short blitz? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________