Door-to-Door Solicitation

With the return of warm weather, we wanted to send a timely reminder that East Goshen Township has a Solicitation Ordinance that regulates door-to-door sales. Solicitors must visibly wear a Township-issued solicitation license with a photo when they knock on your door. Note that the Township runs a background check on all applicants for a solicitation permit to deter crime. In addition, the Township maintains a “Do Not Knock” registry that prohibits solicitors from knocking on your door if you sign up.

If a solicitor knocks on your door and does not have a permit (or tells you that a supervisor has the permit back in the car), or if you are on the do not knock registry and you still receive a visit from a solicitor, please call 911. The Westtown-East Goshen Police Department is committed to ensuring that this ordinance is effectively enforced.

A sample solicitation license is provided as a reference below. If the permit or license does not look like this—with the East Goshen Township logo and a picture ID of the solicitor on it—it is not a valid permit. Frequently, solicitors will wear an official-looking badge, but residents should be trained to spot Township-issued licenses.

Note that under the First Amendment, political and religious speech are exempt from local solicitation ordinances. Therefore, political candidates and representatives of religious organizations (e.g. churches) are not required to have a solicitation permit to go door to door.

More information about the Township Solicitation Ordinance, as well as information about signing up for the Do Not Knock List can be found on the website here.