Solicitor Permits

Permit Application and Issuance of Identification Card

Any person desiring to be a Solicitor within the City must request the issuance of an identification card, which can be made by submitting a permit application online through the mygov system. The permit application can be found by clicking here and will require you to select whether you are applying for a commercial or non-commercial solicitor's permit. 

Solicitation or soliciting: means the act of asking, bartering, or communicating in any other such manner, whether orally, in writing, hand signing, or any other method, either directly or by implication, for the purpose of receiving or obtaining money, alms, gifts, or items of value, or taking orders for any goods, merchandise, or services, whether or not an actual employment relationship is created, a transaction is completed, or an exchange of money, goods, or services actually takes place.

Commercial solicitation: means for-profit solicitation that is for private gain as opposed to being for charitable, philanthropic, fraternal, civic, political, educational, religious or benevolent purposes

Non-commercial solicitation: means not-for-profit solicitation that is for charitable, philanthropic, fraternal, civic, political, educational, religious or benevolent purposes

Applicable Regulations

Peddlers and Solicitors are regulated by Chapter 13, Article I - II, of the Robinson Code Of Ordinances which can also be found here.

It's Unlawful:

•  To engage in solicitation or to place handbills at a private premises that has a posted sign indicating that the resident does not want such activities at their private premises. Examples of such a sign include, but are not limited to, "No Soliciting," "No Solicitation," "No Trespassing," or "Keep Out":
• Enter upon a private premises within the city to engage in solicitation of the occupants, without displaying a currently valid identification card on the upper front portion of the person, unless the person is on the private premises at the prior invitation of the owner or occupant;
• Engage in solicitation for any purpose, at any time of day, or using any method or means other than that listed in the application for the identification card and as authorized;
• Represent, in connection with a solicitation, that the issuance of the identification card by the city constitutes an endorsement or approval of the purposes, means, methods, services, or merchandise by the city or any of its officers or employees.

Solicitation Permits: are REQUIRED if personal contact with the residents is to be made. 

A Current and Valid Identification Card: is required and must be displayed on the upper front portion of every person soliciting on behalf of the permit, unless the person is on the private premises at the prior invitation of the owner or occupant. Each person solicitating on behalf of the permittee is required to have an identification card and the person employing another person to engage in solicitation.

Display of Valid Identification Card: must be on the upper front portion of the person, unless the person is on the private premises at the prior invitation of the owner or occupant 

Applications are Accepted: from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by the Robinson Police Department. 

Nonrefundable Fee: of $30.00 per application and $10 per person soliciting. 

Solicitation Period: can not exceed 90 days.

Denied or Revoked Identification Card: are decided by the chief of police. The action is final unless the applicant or registrant files a written appeal to the City Manager within ten calendar days of notice. Failure to File An Appeal: is a waiver of appeal, finalizing the chief's decision. 

Children 16 Years of Age or Younger: solicitating for funds must be actively supervised by an adult person at least 21 years of age. There will be a presumption that a child is not actively supervised if the supervising adult is more than 40 feet away from the child or if there are five or more children for each adult. 

Hours Restricted: to solicitation prohibited any time between the earlier of 8:00 pm and thirty (30) minutes after sunset and the later of 7:00 am and thirty (30) minutes after sunrise.

Handbills

It shall be unlawful for any person to distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter, or cast, or cause to be distributed, deposited, placed, thrown, scattered, or cast any handbill upon any private premises: 

•  except by placing or depositing the handbills in a manner to secure and to prevent the handbills from being blown or drifting about such premises, sidewalks, streets, or other public places, except that mailboxes may not be used     when prohibited by federal postal laws or regulations for handling or transmitting such and except when a handbill is delivered directly to the owner, occupant, or any other person then present in or upon such private premises     and who is willing to accept it.
• if requested by anyone at that location not to do so, or if there is a sign on the property prohibiting it.
• uninhabited or vacant.
• any handbill upon any vehicle. Except as prohibited in section 13-28, a person may hand out or distribute a noncommercial handbill to the occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it.
• post or otherwise affix or attach any handbill, poster, or other device which is calculated to attract the attention of the public upon any structure, wall, or part thereof without the consent of the owner, agent, or occupant of the structure.

There shall be a rebuttable presumption that any person whose goods, services, or activities are promoted in the handbill in violation of this section is a person who distributed or caused to be distributed the handbill.

This does not apply to a federal, state, county, or local government or public utility employee in the performance of their duties for their employer.

Exemption from Identification Card Requirement

A solicitor that is not offering goods or services or soliciting donations, but, rather is merely distributing information, conducting a poll, enlisting support for a measure or candidate, informing or inquiring about religious or political views, or similar activities is not required to obtain an identification card.

Violations

It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or agent to fail to comply with the requirements of this article or any provision thereof, and each such failure shall be punished as a class C misdemeanor by a fine in accordance with the general penalty provision found in section 1.01.009 of this Code. Each such person, firm, corporation, or agent shall be deemed to be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day, or part thereof, during which any violation of this article is committed or continued.

List of Active Solicitor Permits
Ordinance Governing Peddlers/Solicitors (Amended July 23, 2015)