[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 18]
It shall be unlawful for any person, either as a principal or as agent for any other person, to go in or upon any premises occupied for residential purposes within the City for the purpose of soliciting or canvassing from any occupant thereof orders for goods, wares, merchandise or services, or for the purpose of offering to give or furnish any article or service in order to obtain such order, without first having applied for and received from the Chief of Police a solicitor's permit to do so.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 19; Ord. No. 967, § 1, 9-28-2005]
A. 
Any person, either as a principal or as an agent for any other person or organization, who proposes to perform the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article shall apply for an initial registration with a Chief of Police or their designee.
B. 
In the event that the City of Pittsfield is the city for which initial registration is being sought, each applicant for such initial registration shall:
(1) 
Provide positive identification;
(2) 
Give a permanent street address;
(3) 
Provide an exemplar of their signature;
(4) 
Provide the name of their employer or the party responsible for satisfying the obligations, if applicable;
(5) 
Provide the business address of such employer, if applicable;
(6) 
Provide the identity and registration of any motor vehicle to be used to transport goods, wares, and/or merchandise or persons engaged in the business of transporting such goods, wares, and/or merchandise; and
(7) 
Provide a brief description of the goods, wares, and/or merchandise to be sold and the proposed method of operation.
C. 
In the event that the City of Pittsfield is the city for which initial registration is being sought, the Chief of Police or their designee shall photograph each applicant for the purpose of identification and shall retain a copy of each such photograph for a minimum of two years.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 20; Ord. No. 967, § II, 9-28-2005]
A. 
In the event that the City of Pittsfield is the city for which initial registration is being sought, each applicant for initial registration shall pay to the Pittsfield Police Department a registration fee and/or a fee for renewal of such registration as stated in Chapter 24, Schedule of Fees, of this Code.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
B. 
In the event that the City of Pittsfield is the city for which initial registration is being sought, if the Chief of Police or their designee determines by investigation or receives reliable information that an applicant has been convicted of a felony or is a fugitive from justice or if such applicant refuses to provide any of the required information as set forth in Section 11-17 of this article, then said applicant may be denied registration. Otherwise, the Chief of Police or their designee shall provide each successful applicant who pays the required registration fee a certificate of registration.
C. 
Each such certificate of registration shall include:
(1) 
The applicant's photograph;
(2) 
The applicant's description and signature; and
(3) 
The date and the name "City of Pittsfield."
D. 
The Chief of Police or their designee shall issue the certificate of registration within 48 hours of the submission of the application.
E. 
The certificate of registration shall be effective upon issuance and shall remain valid for a period of two years from the date of issuance.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 22; Ord. No. 967, § III, 9-28-2005]
Regardless of where initial registration was obtained, each person performing the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article shall conspicuously display their certificate of registration when engaged in the performance of such activities within the City of Pittsfield.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 21; Ord. No. 967, § IV, 9-28-2005]
A. 
Notification of commencement of selling. Regardless of where initial registration was obtained, before any person may commence in performing the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article within the City of Pittsfield, written notice shall be given to the Chief of Police or their designee. Such written notification shall include:
(1) 
The name and local address of each person engaging in the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article;
(2) 
The date and time in which the sale is to be conducted;
(3) 
A description of the goods, wares, merchandise and/or services to be sold; and
(4) 
The proposed method of operation.
B. 
Notification to Department of Criminal Justice Information Systems or its successor. Upon receiving written notice of an intention to engage in the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article within the City of Pittsfield, the Chief of Police or their designee shall electronically notify the Department of Criminal Justice Information Systems or its successor of the name of each person who has registered or provided notice that they are engaging in the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article within the City of Pittsfield. Such notification shall be by means of the criminal justice information system in accordance with a plan to be developed by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Systems or its successor. The Chief of Police or their designee shall also make inquiry to determine whether the person engaging in the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article is a missing person.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
C. 
Regulation of operation. The Chief of Police or their designee may regulate the hours during which and conditions under which any registrant may engage in the activities described in Section 11-16 of this article. If the registrant intends to extend its stay in the City of Pittsfield, the registrant shall submit to the Chief of Police or their designee a written statement citing the reason for such extension and the date of the expected departure of such registrant.
D. 
Revocation of registration. The Chief of Police or their designee may revoke any certificate of registration issued in accordance with the provisions of Section 11-17 of this article for good cause. Good cause shall include a violation of MGL c. 101, § 34, or a determination that the registrant has been convicted of a felony, or is a fugitive from justice. In the event of any such revocation and if the issuing authority is a city or town other than the City of Pittsfield, the Chief of Police or their designee shall immediately notify, in writing, the Chief of Police or their designee of the city or town which issued the certificate of registration so revoked.
E. 
Penalties for violation.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
(1) 
Any person who knowingly violates any provision of this article and/or any provision of MGL c. 101, § 34, shall be subject to criminal enforcement and fine provisions as stated in MGL c. 101, § 34, and noncriminal enforcement and fine provisions as stated in Chapter 4 1/2 of this Code.
(2) 
Any person who knowingly supplies false information on an application or who carries on the business regulated by this article and/or MGL c. 101, § 34, without registering or after their registration is revoked or expired shall be subject to criminal enforcement and fine provisions as stated in MGL c. 101, § 34, and noncriminal enforcement and fine provisions as stated in Chapter 4 1/2 of this Code.
(3) 
Consistent with the provisions of MGL c. 40, § 21D, if any person, group, or organization is found to have violated the provisions of this article and/or MGL c. 101, § 34, it shall be the duty of the Chief of Police or their designee to provide the alleged violator with a written notice to appear before the Clerk of District Court not later than 21 days after the date of such violation. Both the content and the service of the notice shall comply with the provisions of MGL c. 40, § 21D. As stated in Subsection E(1) and (2) above, the penalty for such violations shall be as stated in said MGL c. 101, § 34, and noncriminal enforcement and fine provisions as stated in Chapter 4 1/2 of this Code. Any person so noticed may either appear and confess to the offense charged or they may mail to the City Clerk the fine so assessed. Any person so noticed may contest the violation by making a written request for a hearing within 21 days of the date of the notice. In the event that any person so noticed fails to appear and/or pay the fine as set forth, then the citing officer may, after receiving such notification from the Clerk of Court, make application for a criminal complaint.
F. 
The provisions of this article shall not apply to any person who engages in the activities described in Section 11-16 on behalf of any group organized for any political purpose or for any purpose described in MGL c. 180, § 4, nor shall this article apply to a person engaged in any sale governed by MGL c. 149, § 69.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 25]
No permit to solicit as required by this article shall be required in the case of a person who limits their solicitation to the sale of articles for the sale of which no license is required in the case of hawkers or peddlers; or of any person holding a hawker's or peddler's license, issued according to law, authorizing the holder thereof to be a hawker or peddler within the area of the City; or, in the case of a person holding a transient vendor's license, authorizing them to do business in the City.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 24; Ord. No. 763, § 1, 9-14-1994]
No person, group, organization, or corporation shall solicit the general public within the City for charitable purposes without a license therefor from the City Clerk. This section shall not apply to any religious corporation or charitable organization which is exempt from registration under MGL c. 68, § 20, or any corporation registered under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)(3).
A. 
Such license shall include the following information:
(1) 
The name and address of the applicant;
(2) 
A statement of the financial condition of the applicant, an itemization of the income derived from collection and the sources of contribution within the City, the expenses incurred by the applicant for the past fiscal year, and the cost of administering such charity during the past fiscal year; and
(3) 
The certificate of registration as required by MGL, c. 68, § 19.
B. 
The fee for such license shall be as stated in Chapter 24, Schedule of Fees, of this Code. The license shall be issued immediately upon completion of the application and payment of the fee and shall continue in force for one year from the date of issuance.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
C. 
This section shall not be construed so as to interfere with the constitutional right of freedom of expression of opinion of any person.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 674, § 7, approved 5-29-1991, repealed Sec. 11-23, Violations of article, as derived from R. O. 1947, ch. 18, § 23. For current provisions, see Sec. 11-45.