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Borough of New Providence, NJ
Union County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
For purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
CANVASS AND CANVASSING
The practice of going from house to house or from apartment to apartment for the purpose of obtaining the views of any person upon any economic or social question or project or for the purpose of distributing literature, pamphlets, circulars, samples and the like for the purpose of information, advertising or for commercial purposes.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company, association or joint-stock association, society, organization or league, and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee, manager, agent or other similar representative thereof. The word "person" shall also include the singular and plural.
SOLICIT AND SOLICITATION
The practice of going from house to house or from apartment to apartment to sell or deliver goods by sample or to take orders for future delivery of goods or services.
No person shall solicit or canvass or go from house to house or apartment to apartment to sell or deliver goods by sample or to take orders for future delivery of goods or services, with or without accepting advance payment, or to distribute literature, pamphlets, circulars, samples and the like for the purpose of information, advertising, commercial purposes or for other purpose unless he first obtains a written permit from the officer in charge at police headquarters, as provided for in this Article.
A. 
A person who desires a permit under this Article to canvass or to solicit shall file an application with the officer in charge at police headquarters. Such application shall be filed upon a form provided by the borough, which shall read substantially as follows:
APPLICATION FOR PERMIT TO SOLICIT OR CANVASS
All Questions Must Be Answered
Full name:
Address:
Age: ___________ Height: ___________ Weight: ___________ Hair: ___________
Eyes: ______________ Sex: _____________ Complexion: ____________________
Date of birth: ______________ Place of birth:
How many years you have lived at the above address:
Previous address: __________________ Years there:
Have you ever been arrested for the commission of a crime?
If so, state the facts of the same:
Name of person or company represented:
Address: (Includes home and office and phone numbers)
Purpose of canvassing or soliciting:
If merchandise (describe):
(If sales contract, submit a sample copy of the same.)
If survey (Type of questions to be asked. Submit list of questions to be asked.)
Have you been refused a soliciting or canvassing permit within the past three years?
Where?
If so, state the reason why:
List other municipalities where you have received soliciting or canvassing permits:
Attach a letter from the person or company authorizing the applicant to act as a representative.
CERTIFICATION
I do solemnly declare and certify under the penalties of the law that the foregoing answers are true and correct.
Applicant
DATED:
WITNESS:
(A nonrefundable application fee of $15 must be paid to the Borough Clerk upon filing of this application.)
B. 
The applicant shall also furnish such supplemental papers or proofs as may be called for by the questionnaire. The application shall be filed at least 30 days prior to the time when the permit applied for shall become effective, provided that the Chief of Police may, upon good cause shown, allow the filing of an application within a shorter period of time.
After due investigation and after fingerprinting the applicant and upon being satisfied that the applicant is of good moral character and that he is canvassing or soliciting for a project free from fraud, the officer in charge at police headquarters shall have the power to issue a permit to canvass or solicit, after receiving assurance that the proper permit fee required under § 201-35 has been paid to the Borough Clerk. Such permit shall be valid until December 31 of the year in which the same is issued. In addition, the applicant shall, at the same time be furnished with a badge bearing the words "Licensed Solicitor, New Providence, N.J." or "Licensed Canvasser, New Providence, N.J.," as the case may be, which badge shall have a serial number placed thereon corresponding to the number of the applicant's permit. He shall pay the sum of $1 to the Borough Clerk for such badge, and if the same is lost or mislaid, it will be replaced upon payment of the additional sum of $1.
The fee for the permit to solicit or canvass shall be as established in Chapter 147, Fees and Licenses, § 147-4. It shall be valid until December 31 of the year in which the same is issued. Such fee shall be paid to the Borough Clerk at the time the application is filed. Such fee is not refundable.
On the expiration of the permit, the holder shall surrender it to the officer in charge at police headquarters, or he may apply for the renewal of the permit.
Any permit issued under this Article may, in the discretion of the officer in charge at police headquarters, be revoked as the result of further investigation in regard to the character of the permittee or for the making of any false statement or statements or for the failure on the part of the permittee to observe any provision of this Article.
A. 
No canvassing or soliciting shall be done except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on each weekday and between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Sundays, excluding holidays, unless special permission is granted by the Mayor and Borough Council.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I.
B. 
A permittee shall not solicit or canvass in an unlawful manner nor in such a manner as to constitute a breach of the peace nor in such a manner as to constitute a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public. A permittee shall not accost anyone against his will or desire. The permittee shall carry his permit and exhibit it to any police officer or other person upon request. He shall also, at all times when engaging in soliciting or canvassing, wear the badge which is issued to him in such a way so that the same may be easily discernible at a distance of 10 feet.
This Article shall not affect the solicitation of business by any person engaged in the delivery of goods, wares or merchandise or other articles or things on a regularly established route to the premises of persons ordering or entitled to receive them or any charitable campaign or charitable solicitation or collection conducted within the borough which has been approved by the Mayor and Council.