Community Safety: Educate Yourself About Illegal Solicitation

What do you do when someone comes to your home or approaches you in a parking lot and tries to sell you something?

If you’re in Lakewood, ask to see their solicitor/peddler license. Any person going door-to-door or place-to-place selling or taking orders for goods or services in Lakewood must have a solicitor/peddler license from The City of Lakewood.

The City has received information recently about a group soliciting to sell magazines in Lakewood. One criminal citation has been issued and the case is under further investigation. Such groups may be legitimate, but they are often fraudulent.

Unlicensed solicitors may be reported to 911 or non-emergency police dispatch at 253-798-4722 or to the Community Safety Resource Team at 253-589-2489.

Applicants must be licensed and bonded and disclose criminal history. They must comply with certain rules, including honoring “no soliciting” signs, providing signed receipts and a 3-day right to cancel your order.

They say their boss or office has the license? Wrong. Each individual must have and carry a separate license and must show it when requested.

Soliciting/peddling without a license is a misdemeanor. There are limited exemptions to these requirements, including newspaper carriers and dairy
and bakery delivery on established routes. Sales of meats and other food products require health permits as well as peddler licenses.

For more information, please contact the CSRT.