Woodbury, Minnesota: door-to-door solicitor permit

• The answer: Yes — city registration before anyone conducts business as a solicitor; solicitors need not be licensed, but must register (11-48(b)). A solicitor goes door to door taking orders for goods or services to be delivered or performed later, with or without samples (11-46). Registration cannot be transferred to anyone else, so one per rep (11-52). Any county license required under M.S. Ch. 329 must be held first (11-48(a)).
• Where it comes from: The Woodbury Public Safety Department, on its form; the public safety director or designee reviews it and orders any background check (11-48(c), (e)).
• Fee: No fee is required for solicitor registration (11-48(d)).
• Hours you may knock: No business before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m. (11-55(4)).
• What the rep carries: The city-issued badge in the rep's name, with the registration number and expiration date, worn in a conspicuous place on the outer clothing and shown to any citizen or police on request, plus a government-issued photo ID (11-53).
• What takes the time: Apply at least ten regular business days before starting (11-48(c)(1)). The city checks completeness within two regular business days, orders any background checks, and must approve or deny within ten regular business days of a complete application (11-48(e)). The form asks for photo ID, a five-year conviction statement, the three most recent places the rep sold, vehicle details and proof of any county license (11-48(c)(2)). More than three consumer complaints in the preceding 12 months can count as a bad business reputation and block registration (11-50(5)). Registration expires December 31 each year (11-48(f)).
• Code: Woodbury City Code, Chapter 11, Article IV — Solicitors (11-46 to 11-56), adopted by Ord. No. 1981 in 2020. Municode shows the code codified through Ordinance No. 2078, adopted May 27, 2026 (Supp. No. 48).
• Worth knowing: No entering property posted "no peddlers, solicitors or transient merchants" or a comparable statement unless invited (11-56). No claiming city endorsement because the registration was approved, and no staying on property after being asked to leave (11-55). A rep who carries goods and delivers them on the spot is a peddler under Article VI, which requires a paid license instead.
• Read it yourself: Woodbury City Code, Chapter 11, Article IV — Solicitors · Woodbury City Code, Chapter 11, Article VI — Peddlers · Woodbury Code of Ordinances — landing page · checked 22 September 2026

Ask the clerk, and write the answer down:

• Whether Washington County requires a Ch. 329 license for door-to-door solicitors, which the city makes a condition of registration
• Whether a whole team can be registered in one batch and how badges are picked up
• Whether the ten-business-day lead time is ever shortened

Clerk’s name ______________ Direct line ______________ Date called ______________