[HISTORY: Adopted by the New Canaan Board of Selectmen 7-11-1957; effective 9-15-1957. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
HIGHWAY
A public highway, street, park or other public place including sidewalks.
PEDDLER/SOLICITOR
Any person who shall sell, offer or expose for sale, peddle or barter goods, services, wares or merchandise at public or private sale upon any public streets or other public place, or who shall go from house to house or from place to place for such purposes or any of them.
[Amended 7-10-2002, effective 7-26-2002]
[Amended 7-10-2002, effective 7-26-2002]
No person shall sell or offer for sale at public or private sale, or peddle any goods, wares or merchandise within the limits of any highway within the town; or sell or offer to sell, peddle or barter goods, wares and merchandise or take or solicit subscriptions to books, magazines, periodicals or other publications, or solicit for home maintenance/improvement services, from house to house or from place to place in the Town without first obtaining a license so to do, as herein provided. No person shall make, place or erect in any highway any stand, wagon, cart or other vehicle or any structure for the sale or offering for sale of any goods, wares or merchandise or for the conduct of any business or selling, unless such person shall have obtained a license therefor as herein provided.
Any person desiring a peddler's license as required by this chapter, shall make application to the Town Clerk at least seven days in advance of the date for which such license is desired. Such application shall be accompanied by a photograph of the applicant and a letter from some reputable resident of the Town attesting to the good moral character of the applicant. Such applicant shall also be fingerprinted by the Police Department at the time of making the application. The Town Clerk shall collect $10 from each applicant, for use of the town, to defray the cost of administration of this Article.
Upon written application as required in the preceding section and payment of the fee herein provided to the Town Clerk, he may issue a license to such applicant to sell or peddle such goods, wares and merchandise permitted by law, in and upon the highways and public places of the Town and to go from house to house and from place to place for the purposes specified in the preceding section.
In addition to the application fee required by § 43-3 of this code license fees for each person, team or vehicle engaged in any of the acts for which a license may be issued under this Article shall be as follows:
For one day
$1.00
For 10 days
$10.00
For one month
$15.00
For one year
$25.00
Yearly licenses required by this Article shall be for the calendar year or the balance thereof; and if issued after July first the fees for the balance of the year shall be $12. Such annual licenses shall be in form of a durable tag or plate with a license number and year for which issued stamped or printed thereon, and which license plate or tag shall be conspicuously displayed upon any vehicle employed by the licensee in the course of such peddling or vending.
The Town Clerk shall keep a written record of all licenses issued to him and of the fees received thereon and shall remit to the Town Treasurer at the end of each month all fees so received together with a statement in detail showing the date of issuance of each license, term of license, licensee's name and nature of business licensed.
Licenses issued under this Article may be revoked at any time by the First Selectman of the town.
The Town Clerk shall issue to each successful applicant for a license under this Article a badge, the size and contents of which shall be determined by the Board of Selectmen. Such badge shall be worn by each licensee in a conspicuous place upon one of his outer garments while he is engaged in peddling, as defined by this Article.
The provisions of this Article shall not apply to:
A. 
Marketing and sales of farm products by farmers of the state, which produce has been raised or produced by them on or from farms actually occupied by them in this state.
B. 
The sale, distribution and delivery of milk, cream, except ice cream, teas, coffees, spices, groceries, meats and bakery goods.
C. 
Sales on approval or to conditional sales of merchandise.
D. 
A resident of this state for two years who has served in the army, navy, marine corps or coast guard of the United States in time of war and who may otherwise qualify under and comply with the provisions of the General Statutes.
E. 
Goods sold by any blind person manufactured by him with his own hands.
F. 
Sales made to dealers by commercial travelers or selling agents in the regular course of business, or by sample for future delivery.
G. 
Wholesalers selling and delivering their goods to the merchants of the town.
H. 
Sales of newspapers; or sales of or soliciting subscriptions to other publications by residents of the town.
[1]
Editor's Note: 3-19-68; effective 4-19-68 original § 43-10, Fees for Town Clerk, was repealed and sections following renumbered.
Itinerant vendors holding a state license as such, in conformity to the provisions of Chapter 233 of the General Statutes, as amended, shall be granted by the Town Clerk a local license for the Town upon presenting to the Town Clerk such state license and paying a fee to the Town of $25, and otherwise complying with the provisions of the General Statutes above cited relative to itinerant vendors, or as the same may be hereafter amended.
An itinerant vendor, conducting a temporary or transient business in the exhibition and sale of goods, wares and merchandise in any tent, booth, building or other structure in the town, shall procure the local license specified in the preceding section, unless such place shall be open for business during usual business hours, for a period of at least nine months of each year.