For further information, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 913-381-6464, or email Licensing@pvkansas.com.  We now require pre-scheduled appointments prior to issuing  permits.   

The Basics of Door-to-Door Solicitation

According to the City’s Door-to-Door solicitation ordinance for-profit solicitors:

• May call on residence between 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  
• No solicitation is allowed between 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the evening.
• Must obtain a permit from the City and display it while soliciting in the City.
• May not call on or approach any residence displaying a “No Solicitation”, “No Trespassing” or any other similar notice.
• Must wear photo I.D. at all times.

What is door-to-door solicitation?

Door-to-door solicitation is the practice of going onto private property unannounced with the intent of selling goods or services for a profit.  This includes selling, offering to sell and taking orders for goods or services.

In the past, City ordinances strictly prohibited any form of door-to-door solicitation.  Although many residents supported the blanket prohibition, the Assistant City Attorney informed City Council that several courts had declared ordinances nearly identical to the Prairie Village ordinance as unconstitutional.  The impact of these court rulings rendered the City’s ordinance unenforceable, providing no protection to Prairie Village residents.

Objectives

The City’s legal counsel worked to develop an enforceable ordinance to strictly develop and regulate the activities of for-profit door-to-door solicitors.  The new ordinance also allows groups such as the Girl Scouts and other non-profit organizations to promote their causes without breaking the law.

The objectives of regulating door-to-door solicitations are to:

1. Protect Prairie Village residents from fraud and deceit by unscrupulous solicitors.
2. Provide Prairie Village residents with a measure of privacy in their residence.
3. Regulate the times solicitors could operate in the City.  An example of this is an ordinance provision  prohibiting for-profit door-to-door solicitation between 5:30 p.m and 7:00 p.m.; the dinner hour for many Prairie Village families.
4. Enable Prairie Village residents to further restrict door-to-door solicitation by posting “No Solicitation” notices.  If a home has posted a “No Solicitation” sticker and a solicitor knocks or rings the door bell, he or she is violating the law.

What the ordinance does:

The ordinance contains two primary provisions.  One applies to solicitors, the other applies to residents.

Solicitors MUST:

1. Obtain a permit before doing business in the City. Download permit here.
2. Pay a fee of $12 per solicitor per day
3. Pass a background check
4. Display permit at all times when soliciting within the City.
5. Wear photo identification at all times.
6. Leave a resident’s property when directed to do so by the resident.
7. Not call on any residence posted with a “No Solicitation” sticker or similar notice.

Residents MAY:

1. Require a solicitor to present his or her permit and photo identification.
2. Obtain “No Solicitation” stickers free of charge at the Prairie Village Municipal Building or Police Department Lobby.
3. Require the solicitor to provide a receipt for any purchase exceeding $5.00.
4. Contact the Police Department by dialing 913-642-5151 if a solicitor comes to their door when the home is posted “No Solicitors”.

For further information, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 913-381-6464, or email Licensing@pvkansas.com.  We now require pre-scheduled appointments prior to issuing  permits.