Waltham, Massachusetts: 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: Not confirmed from the code. The Waltham Police Department posts a Solicitor Registration Application in two versions, one for an individual and one for an organization, each for a registration period of 90 days at most, so a police registration exists. The ordinance that requires it could not be read because the city code host blocked an automated reader.
• Where it comes from: The Waltham Police Department, 155 Lexington Street. Forms: Solicitor Registration Application — Individual and Solicitor Registration Application — Organizational.
• Fee: Not published on the application forms or the city pages read. The ordinance was not read.
• Hours you may knock: Not published on the city pages read. The ordinance was not read.
• What the rep carries: Not read. The individual application asks for a copy of government-issued photo ID; what the rep must carry while working is not stated on the forms.
• What takes the time: The individual form asks for three years of past addresses, the employer, the last three communities where the rep solicited, and any vehicle, and says the police will run a criminal background check on the applicant. The organization form lists every solicitor who will work in Waltham. No processing time is published.
• Code: City of Waltham Code of Ordinances, hosted on General Code's eCode360 (linked from the City Clerk's page). The solicitor chapter and section numbers were not read.
• Worth knowing: The police keep a "No Solicitation" list residents can join to deter door-to-door salespeople. The sign-up form says the list covers commercial solicitors only and recommends residents also post a "No Solicitors" sign.
• Read it yourself: Waltham Police Department — Solicitor Registration Application, Individual (PDF) · Waltham Police Department — Solicitor Registration Application, Organizational (PDF) · City of Waltham — No Solicitation · City of Waltham — No Solicitation Sign Up Form (PDF) · City of Waltham Code of Ordinances on eCode360 (not read, host blocked) · checked 23 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether every door-to-door rep must register with the police before knocking, and the ordinance section
• The registration fee, if any, and whether it is per rep or per organization
• What hours door-to-door sales are allowed, and the code section
• How reps get the No Solicitation list, and how long the background check takes

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________