Solicitation Standards Overview

The City Council amended its Solicitation Ordinance in 2007 to harmonize the city's regulations with provisions of a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court and with the city's peddling regulations.

Significant Ordinance Aspects

Some of the most significant aspects of the ordinance include:

• A Letter of Authorization is no longer required for solicitation in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
• Nonprofit organizations, as defined in Section 5.28.040 of the City's Municipal Code, will not be required to obtain a business license related to solicitation.
• All commercial solicitors, as defined in Chapter 5.28 of the City's Municipal Code, will still be required to obtain a business license prior to solicitation.

Solicitation Standards

• The Solicitation Ordinance states that all solicitors must abide by the standards for solicitations made in the city. These standards are enumerated in detail in the ordinance, but include the following:
• Solicitors must not solicit any residences that prominently display a "Do Not Disturb / No Advertisements" sign.
• Solicitors must not forcefully solicit any individual who states that they do not wish to be solicited.
• Solicitors must not drop, throw, scatter, or cast any newspaper, handbill, pamphlet, circular, leaflet, or any other advertising sheet to any residential property without the express consent of the owner or occupant.
• All flyers or handbills must be secured to the property in such a way as to eliminate the hazards of randomly scattered litter.
• Solicitors cannot solicit before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. unless they are specifically invited onto the property.