Wilmington, North Carolina: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — a permit from the chief of police, per person. It is unlawful to go onto any private property or residence in the city “to solicit or canvass for orders and sales for goods and merchandise or services of any character” without first getting the permit (4-108(a)). Services are covered, not just goods. The only carve-out is for brokers and traveling salesmen selling to merchants and businesses.
• Where it comes from: The chief of police, Wilmington Police Department, on a written application form provided by the city (4-108(b)). The permit sits in Chapter 4, Article III of the city code, under a heading about sales on public property, which is easy to miss.
• Fee: Not published. Section 4-108 sets no fee, and the Police Department chapter of the city's FY27 fee schedule lists no solicitation permit fee. That chapter does list police fingerprinting at “Up to two fingerprint cards: $15”; whether permit applicants pay it is not stated.
• Hours you may knock: Not published. Section 4-108 sets no knocking hours, and no other section of the city code sets hours for solicitors.
• What the rep carries: The permit, at all times when soliciting or canvassing in the city, shown on request to any police officer or any person solicited (4-108(c)).
• What takes the time: A written application for each rep (employer, work history for the preceding year, what is being sold, personal description), plus “credentials and other evidence of good moral character and identification,” including fingerprinting, and an investigation by the chief of police before the permit issues (4-108(b)–(c)). No processing time is published.
• It expires: Not later than the thirty-first of May following issuance (4-108(c)), so every permit runs out on the same date each year.
• Code: Wilmington Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4, Article III, Sec. 4-108, Permit for sale of goods and services generally (Code 1962, §§ 23-4—23-7). Municode shows the code as codified through Ordinance No. O-2026-31, enacted June 16, 2026 (Supp. No. 42).
• Worth knowing: The chief of police revokes a permit for any violation of the city code by the holder, or of anything stated in the application (4-108(d)). A violation of Chapter 4 carries a civil penalty, and each day a violation continues after notice is a separate offense (4-1). No police or licensing page on wilmingtonnc.gov mentions this permit, so call the Police Department for the form.
• Read it yourself: Wilmington Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4, Article III (Sec. 4-108) · Wilmington Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4, Article I (Sec. 4-1) · City of Wilmington FY27 Adopted Fee Schedule, Chapter IX Police Department Fees (scanned PDF, printed page 53) · Wilmington Police Department — Forms · Wilmington Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 — Offenses—Miscellaneous · checked 19 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down: Where does a rep get the Sec. 4-108 solicitation permit application, and is it still being issued? What is the permit fee, and is the $15 police fingerprinting charge on top of it? How long does the background investigation take before the permit issues? Are there any knocking-hour limits the police enforce? Clerk’s name ______________   Direct line ______________   Date called ______________