Door-To-Door Solicitor/Peddler Issues:
In recent weeks, Harris Township has been visited by representatives of a couple of companies that travel door-to-door selling services or goods. These companies did not obtain the proper licensing through the Ordinance Enforcement Office prior to their door knocks and bell rings. Township staff contacted these companies to make them aware of the regulations and the State College Police Department issued a citation to one such salesperson who ignored our warning.
Coincidentally, staff have been working for several months with the Board of Supervisors on changes to our ordinances that deal, in part, with how we regulate and identify door-to-door solicitors and peddlers.
Currently regulations require those wanting to perform door-to-door solicitation to provide to staff a completed application for such and a picture identification, as well as a fee that varies depending upon the duration of the license. Harris Township offers three options for duration: one day, one month, or one year. Licensed individuals are required to carry their licenses with them while soliciting and to provide such to anyone asking to see the license. Importantly, each person going door-to-door is licensed, not the business, company, or organization they represent.
At their meeting of August 10, 2026, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance #385. Part of this ordinance amends the regulations pertaining to door-to-door solicitors and peddlers. While much of the current ordinance remains intact, some additions make the regulations easier to administer for staff and easier to recognize for residents. Key highlights of the ordinance include:
- Each individual solicitor/peddler is still licensed.
- One license duration is offered – 30 days.
- Licensees must wear an orange lanyard the Township will supply on their outermost layer of clothing – the lanyard with the license must be clearly visible to residents and to the public.
- Soliciting/peddling hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. with no such activity allowed on Sundays and on Federal holidays.
- Licensees must comply with any posted signs on properties that announce “No Soliciting” or “No Peddling”.
- All licensees must immediately leave the property when asked to do so by the owner or occupant.
Additionally, residents can have their property added to a new “Do Not Solicit” registry created by staff. To register, please provide a written request (letter or email) to staff including your name and address. Staff will compile and update the list regularly and will provide an address list to each licensee so they are informed regarding those properties where they may not solicit/peddle.
Some exemptions exist in relation to these regulations. No license is required for individuals selling agricultural products they have produced, for individuals selling donated goods or wares whose proceeds are to be applied to any charitable or philanthropic purpose, for minors selling goods as part of school, scouting, or youth organization fundraising activities, or for canvassers distributing flyers or information for political, religious, or non-commercial purposes.
If solicitors or peddlers without visible orange lanyards visit you, please contact staff at 814-466-6228 or by email to zoning@harristownship.org during normal business hours or the State College Police Department by calling the Communications Center at 1-800-479-0050 after normal business hours, on weekends, or on national holidays. Please immediately call SCPD if any solicitor/peddler refuses to leave your property, if your property is on the “Do Not Solicit” registry, or if any behavior by a solicitor/peddler is inappropriate.
PLEASE NOTE: The new regulations are not applicable until October 1, 2026, the effective date of Ordinance #385. No orange lanyards will be provided until the ordinance becomes effective. All solicitors/peddlers will still be required in the interim to carry licenses with them under the existing standards, so if you have any doubt about the status of anyone who visits your property, ask to see their Harris Township license.
If you have any questions or concerns about the existing or newly adopted soliciting/peddling regulations, please feel free to let us know. Staff email contacts are available on the Harris Township website at www.harristownship.org and you can always call the Harris Township office Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Let’s continue keeping our neighborhoods safe and friendly!
