The purpose of this chapter, enacted in response to numerous complaints from residents and businesses, is to: (1) preserve the public health, safety and welfare by regulating, controlling and licensing door-to-door commercial solicitors and peddlers, (2) minimize the disturbance of citizens, businesses and residents, and (3) protect against criminal activity relating to commercial solicitation, while assuring that persons, such as candidates for elective office, charitable solicitors, and others specifically enumerated in the chapter, are permitted to engage in their Constitutionally protected activity without undue restriction.
No person, other than those exempted by §Â
130-9, shall engage in
soliciting or peddling in the Township:
A. Without having obtained a valid and unexpired license; and
B. Without having registered with the Township Police Department.
Fees for permits required under this chapter shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Commissioners, which may be amended from time to time.
Every person licensed to solicit or peddle in the Township, other than those exempted by §Â
130-9, shall report in person on those days on which he intends to solicit or peddle and register with the Police Department by signing a registration book, indicating his name and license number and the names and license numbers of all licensed helpers.
Every person to whom a license has been issued shall, in the conduct of his activities, comply with the following rules of conduct:
A. He shall carry his license at all times and exhibit it, upon request, to any police officer or Township official or to any person on whom he shall call or with whom he shall talk.
B. He shall not permit any person to have possession of his license and shall immediately report its loss to the Township Police Department.
C. He shall not cause or permit his license to be defaced or altered in any way.
D. He shall not enter or attempt to enter any dwelling without the invitation or permission of the occupants and shall immediately leave any premises upon request of the occupant.
E. He shall not be guilty of any false pretense or misrepresentation, and, particularly, he shall not represent his license to be an endorsement by the Township of himself, his goods, the services of him or his employer nor the organization he may represent.
F. He shall immediately surrender his license to the Chief of Police, or his designee, upon revocation thereof.
G. He shall not engage in selling or offering for sale, or in seeking or taking of orders or contracts for, any goods, wares, merchandise, article, device, subscription, contribution, service or contract not stated in the application for which a license has been issued, nor shall any person use any vehicle for soliciting or peddling other than the vehicle registered upon his license.
H. No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall hawk or cry his goods, wares, merchandise, offers, contracts or services upon any of the streets or sidewalks of the Township, nor shall be use any loudspeaker, except when the street is closed for a special event and a license for the said soliciting or peddling has been duly issued by the Township.
I. No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall park any vehicle upon any of the streets or alleys of the Township in order to sort, rearrange or clean any of his goods, wares or merchandise or samples, order books, contracts, circulars, literature or advertising matter pertaining thereto; nor may any such person place or deposit any refuse upon any such streets or alleys or sanitary or storm sewers; nor may any such person maintain or keep a street or curbstone market by parking any vehicle upon any street or alley in the Township for longer than necessary in order to solicit from or peddle to persons residing or businesses located in the immediate vicinity.
J. No person engaged in soliciting or peddling shall occupy any fixed location upon any of the streets or alleys or sidewalks of the Township for the purpose of soliciting or peddling with or without any stand or counter.
K. He shall comply with "No Soliciting" notices on any commercial or residential property or business in the Township.
It is hereby declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance for any person, company, corporation or organization to enter upon the premises of a private residence or business at any time of the day or night for the purpose of conducting any form of commercial or charitable soliciting or peddling where the owner or occupant of the residence or business has posted a "No Trespassing" sign or a "No Soliciting" sign, or upon any property duly registered by the occupant/possessor thereof on the Township "Do Not Solicit" list, which shall be provided to the applicant with the license.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon summary conviction before any District Justice of the Peace, pay a fine not exceeding $600 and costs of prosecution; and, in default of one payment of the fine and costs, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for a term of not more than 30 days. Each and every day in which any person, firm or corporation shall be in violation of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.