Dallas Ordinance to Register Door-to-Door Solicitors

A new ordinance passed Wednesday by the Dallas City Council will make door-to-door solicitation more difficult.

Under the ordinance, people selling products or services, or distributing commercial printed material, will have to first register with the city.

The city will run a background check and issue identification badges to those who are approved.

There are exceptions for educational, religious, charitable and political solicitations.

Some council members want to see fewer loopholes.

“It did pass, but it is being looked at even greater because we want to look at what some of the other cities have done; particularly surrounding cities, so we will continue to look at that and fine tune it the best we can,” said City Councilmember Jerry Allen, District 10.

The ordinance is being framed as a public safety concern rather than a nuisance issue.

“A lot of people are concerned that when someone comes to the door to try and sell them something, what they are also doing is scoping out the houses and the interiors to see if perhaps if maybe they want to burglarize it in the future,” said City Councilmember Sandy Greyson, District 12.

The ordinance also states registered solicitors can only knock between the hours of 9 a.m. and sundown.

People who fall under the exception category will still be free to solicit outside those time constraints.

Those found in violation are subject to a $500 fine.

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