Township of West Amwell, NJ Chapter 127 Peddling and Soliciting

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of West Amwell 6-5-1964 by Ord. No. 2-64. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 127-1 Statement of nuisance.

The practice of going in and upon private residences within the Township of West Amwell by solicitors, peddlers, hawkers, itinerant merchants or transient vendors of merchandise not having been so requested or invited to do so by the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of said private residences for the purpose of soliciting orders for the sale of goods, wares and merchandise and/or disposing of and/or peddling or hawking the same or any person who, for himself, or for another person, firm, corporation or partnership, hires, leases, uses or occupies any building, structure, tent, hotel room, lodging house, apartment or any other place within the Township of West Amwell for the sole purpose of exhibiting samples or taking orders for future delivery, without first having reported to and received a license to do so from the Township Clerk, is a nuisance and is unlawful.

§ 127-2 Exemptions.

This chapter shall not apply to:

A. Any veteran who holds a special state license issued under the laws of the State of New Jersey shall be exempt from securing a license as provided herein but shall be required to comply with all other sections of this chapter applicable and shall be required to produce from the Township Clerk a special veteran's permit, which shall be issued by the Township Clerk upon proper identification.

B. Any person soliciting a vote or support for any political candidate or program.

C. Any person soliciting for a bona fide charitable, religious, patriotic, community service or philanthropic purpose or organization.

D. Any person engaged in delivering wares, goods or merchandise or other articles or things in the regular course of business to the premises of the person ordering or entitled to receive the same.

E. Any person engaged in the sale or soliciting of orders for the sale of milk, dairy products, vegetables, poultry, eggs and other farm and garden produce and ice, bread, cake and newspapers so far as the sale of the commodities named herein is now authorized by law.

F. Any person engaged in the pursuit of and conducting a locally established bona fide business.

§ 127-3 Application for permit.

A. Applicants for a license under this chapter must file with the Township Clerk an application in a form to be supplied by the Township Clerk at the time of said application, giving specific facts as to the identity of the person seeking the license or, if the agent or employee of another person, those facts personal to the person applying, plus the specific facts with regard to the principal or the employer.

B. The fee for such license shall be $5 per day per person and $25 per person annually. The annual license is to expire at 12:00 midnight December 31 in the year when issued. Other than annual licenses shall expire at 12:00 midnight on the date specified in the license. A license must be displayed at all times on an outer garment.

C. No person shall canvass, solicit, hawk or peddle except during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, except those engaged in soliciting or selling under § 127-2.

§ 127-4 Enforcement.

It shall be the duty of any police officer of the Township of West Amwell to enforce the provisions of this chapter against any person found to be violating the same.

§ 127-5 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 5-3-1984 by Ord. No. 5-84]

Any person violating the terms of this chapter shall, upon conviction in the Municipal Court of the Township of West Amwell or the Joint Municipal Court of the Township of East Amwell, West Amwell or Delaware, be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,250, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days, or any combination thereof.