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 §
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 §
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.
[Added 7-8-2024 by Ord. No. 3001-2024]
A. The Township has established and manages a "Do Not Solicit" registry
for those landowners and residents of the Township who do not wish
to be contacted by nonexempt door-to-door solicitors at their properties.
B. Any person in lawful possession and occupancy of any business, residence,
house, apartment, or other dwelling unit in the Township may request
to have their address placed on the Do Not Solicit registry by submitting
a request in writing to the person designated by the Township.
C. A resident's listing on the Do Not Solicit registry shall remain
on the Do Not Solicit registry unless and until a request to remove
the same is submitted to the Township Police Department.
D. Any person in lawful possession and occupancy of any business, residence, house, apartment, or other dwelling unit in the Township may request to have their address removed from the Do Not Solicit registry by submitting a request in writing to the Township Secretary or online, as provided by the Township. Such request shall include all information set forth in Subsection
B above, together with an affirmative statement that the individual, being authorized to do so, requests that the property be removed from the Do Not Solicit registry.
E. The prohibition against nonexempt door-to-door solicitors entering
properties on the Do Not Solicit registry shall be in addition to,
and not in place of, the prohibition against such individuals soliciting,
peddling, or distributing on properties displaying "No Soliciting"
or other similar sign or signs.