Solicitors and Your Rights

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The Clifton Times has learned that Cliftonites are experiencing an increase in solicitors, which many find to be disruptive. The Clifton Times wants to set out the process for obtaining a non-solicitation sticker from the City Clerk’s office (located at Clifton City Hall at 900 Clifton Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013).

Laws Governing Solicitation
The City of Clifton Code sets out the laws governing solicitation in Chapter 189: Canvassing and Soliciting. This chapter provides that anyone who is selling goods or services door to door needs to be licensed and sets out the process for obtaining a license, as well as the steps to opt out of being solicited or canvassed, and the penalties for violating the section.

§ 189-1 License required
No person shall solicit or call from house to house in the City to sell or attempt to sell goods by sample or to take or attempt to take orders for the future delivery of goods, merchandise, wares or any personal property of any nature whatsoever or take or attempt to take orders for services to be furnished or performed in the future, without first having received a written license therefor.

However, even if a solicitor is licensed, Cliftonites have the right to “opt out” of being solicited or canvassed by people going door to door. Solicitation may only be done between 9 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays and the person must keep their permit on them, to be shown on request.

§189-8 Non-Solicitation sticker.

A. Notwithstanding any other part of this chapter, each resident of the City of Clifton may make an independent choice as to whether that resident chooses to be canvassed or solicited.

B. The City Clerk will make available to all residents a sticker which will make reference to this section of the chapter that will declare that this resident has chosen not to be canvassed or solicited.

C. The sticker shall be placed on the premises of the resident in a place that is visible to the public. Any person, partnership, firm or corporation that canvasses or solicits a resident that has a sticker on display shall be in violation of this chapter.

In § 189-7, the Code specifically states that the non-solicitation sticker will apply to any religious, charitable, or political activities conducted within the City. So even though people going door to door with respect to religious, charitable or political activities do not need to obtain a license, they are expected to honor the non-solicitation sticker. The fines for violations of the chapter are set out in § 189-9.

Obtaining the Non-Solicitation Sticker
The City Clerk's office will provide non-solicitation stickers on request, without an appointment. If you stop by the window on the first floor of City Hall (900 Clifton Avenue), you can obtain the bright yellow sticker. The sticker must be placed in a noticeable location where solicitors and canvassers can see it.

With an increase in solicitors coming to homes to sell goods or services, Cliftonites may wish to “opt out” of this kind of soliciting or canvassing by putting up an official sticker issued by the City Clerk. Anyone canvassing or soliciting someone who has this official sticker on display is in violation of the ordinance.



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