Knowledge Base

General Peddler and Solicitor Info

Definitions:

Peddler means any person who goes from house to house, or place to place within the City of Albany, for the sale of or taking or attempting to take orders for the sale of goods, wares and merchandise, personal property of any nature whatsoever for future delivery, or for services to be furnished or performed in the future.

Solicitor means any person who goes door-to-door (house to house) in residential areas of the city and engaging in any type of selling, seeking donations, or any other business, occupation or vocation which involves any attempt to obtain money, orders, donations, subscriptions or the like.

Are peddlers and solicitors allowed in the City of Albany?

Yes.  Solicitors and peddlers are allowed to conduct business in Albany.  Solicitors and peddlers must obtain a badge from the City Treasurer’s Office to solicit in residential areas.  Note that religious and educational organizations are exempt from the restrictions in the solicitors and peddlers ordinance.  People representing religious and educational organizations not required to obtain a badge and may go door to door, even if someone has a “No Solicitation” or “No Trespassing” sign posted at their home, or at the entrance to a subdivision or condominium complex or apartment complex, or are listed on the do not solicit list.

What times and days of the week can peddlers and solicitors go door to door?
Peddlers and solicitors can only go door to door from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., any day of the week. 

Can someone ring my bell or knock on my door to give me materials such as fliers, cards or brochures, or leave this printed material in my yard?

Yes.  A separate ordinance from the peddlers and solicitors ordinance allows anyone to go door to door to distribute what City ordinance calls handbills (fliers, cards, brochures, etc.).  The ordinance requires them to hand you the material or leave it on your property, so long as it is placed in such a manner as it will not blow away.  There is no badge or permit required. 

How can I prevent a solicitor or peddler from knocking on my door or ringing my bell? 

1) “No Solicitation” signage may be placed at or near the entrances to residential property in communities, consistent with the city’s sign ordinance and the registered Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R) of their neighborhoods/communities. 

2)  You can get yourself added to the “Do Not Solicit” list by calling 311.  That list is available to the solicitors at the City’s website. 

3)  Communities may request that they be added to the City of Albany’s “Do Not Solicit” list to become a “No Soliciting” community.  The community must be an approved subdivision, apartment complex or condominium development with defined and approved boundaries.  Subdivisions are identified in the city’s GIS mapping system and each address will be added to the “Do Not Solicit” list by our 311 Center, in response to the request.   Upon request the 311 Center will generate a list for sales personnel of specific addresses and communities for which soliciting is not authorized.  Subdivisions, condominium complexes and apartment complexes may send a formal and signed request under the letterhead of the entity having authority over the respective subdivision, condominium development or apartment complex that all associated addresses be added to the “Do Not Solicit” list.  Send these requests to City of Albany, Attention:  Code Enforcement Director, 240 Pine Ave., Suite 330, Albany, Georgia. Individual citizens not included in a request from a subdivision, apartment complex or condominium development may request to be placed on the “Do Not Solicit” list by contacting 311 by phone.

4)  Communities with gateway entrance signs that have already received permission from the city to install the gateways in the city’s right-of-way may place “No Solicitation” signs on the community’s gateway entrances consistent with the neighborhood’s CC&R.  In addition, or if no gateway entrance(s) exists for a subdivision, the City will provide  no more than two signs to be installed in the City rights-of-way by city personnel (under neighborhood watch signs or other signs or City provided sign posts) at no cost to the community.  Additional signs may be installed in the City rights-of-way upon request by the community (Home Owner Association, Neighborhood Watch Organization, etc.), at places requested by the representing community organization, provided that the locations do not violate city policies, ordinances or other regulations.   Should communities desire to have additional signs installed within the City’s right-of-way beyond the two approved for installation as stated above, these communities will be required to fund the entire cost (labor and material) of such signs in advance of their installation.  Send these requests to City of Albany, Attention:  Code Enforcement Director, 240 Pine Ave., Suite 330, Albany, Georgia.

Installation of “No Solicitation” signs will be fabricated and installed by city personnel as time permits and will not be viewed as priority requirements.  However, every effort will be made to accommodate the community’s request.

Reminder:  Religious and educational organizations, and people distributing handbills (fliers, brochures, etc.) are exempt from obeying “No Solicitation” signs.

What does the “No Solicitation” sign need to look like, where does it go and what does it need to say? 

The ordinance calls for the sign to read “No Solicitation” or “No Trespassing.”   Some commercially available signs say “No Soliciting” or similar and should suffice.  The City of Albany recommends using a sign that is less than one square foot that is placed in the yard if it is on a post, or attached to the house or window near the front door.  Signs may not be placed in the rights of way.

Where can I get a “No Solicitation” or “No Trespassing” sign? 

The Albany Code Enforcement Department recommends visiting Albany’s sign companies or home supply stores or searching for a desired sign online.¹

 Note 1: The City Of Albany’s Treasurer’s Office maintains a limited quantity of signs attached to small posts available for a fee. The fee is based on the cost at the time of purchase from a vendor. (Note: On hand quantities may be affected by demand.) https://www.municode.com/library/#!/ga/albany/codes/code_of_ordinances?showChanges&searchRequest=%7B%22searchText%22:%22peddler%22,%22pageNum%22:1,%22resultsPerPage%22:25,%22booleanSearch%22:false,%22stemming%22:true,%22fuzzy%22:false,%22synonym%22:false,%22contentTypes%22:%5B%22CODES%22%5D,%22productIds%22:%5B%5D%7D

If you are a solicitor or peddler, click here  for information you need to know to legally solicit or peddle in the City of Albany or unincorporated area of Dougherty County.