(a) Registration Required. No person shall act as a canvasser for charitable or religious purposes or as a door-to-door salesperson in intrastate commerce in this City without first having registered as such with the Office of the Mayor. No fee shall be required. However, the Office of the Mayor shall issue a registration certificate to each applicant and such certificate shall be carried on the person of the registrant at all times when engaged in such canvassing, solicitation or sales and shown on request of any police officer or any person whom a request for contribution or offer to sell is made. Each canvasser or solicitor shall provide a written receipt and, if applicable, a statement attesting to the organization's exempt status under Section 6501 of the Federal Internal Revenue Code if requested to do so by the person making a contribution or purchase. Such receipt shall show the name of the organization, amount of the contribution and the date and shall be signed by the solicitor.
An organization which desires to place a number of canvassers or solicitors for charitable or religious purposes in the City simultaneously may make a group application to cover all of them; however, separate registration certificates shall be issued to each or, in lieu thereof, a separate information card shall be issued to each canvasser or solicitor by the registered organization. Such information card shall include at a minimum, the name of the registered organization; a description of the purpose of the solicitation; the period for which the registration was issued; the name of the canvasser or solicitor; a brief description of the canvasser or solicitor, such as age, weight, and height; the signature of the canvasser or solicitor and the signature of a member of the registered organization.
(b) Registration Application; Contents. Application for a certificate of registration shall be made upon a form provided by the Office of the Mayor. Each application shall contain, among other information, the name, address and the phone number of the person completing the application; the name, address and telephone number of the organization for which he purports to act; the name of an officer or other official of the organization; the nature of the charitable or religious purpose to which the contributions, donations or sale proceeds will be applied in the case of canvassers for charitable or religious purposes; the nature of the goods or services for which he will take orders in the case of door-to-door salespersons in interstate commerce; the compensation; if any, which he or other canvassers are to receive for their services; and such other information as the Director of Safety-Service may require.
(c) Six Month Limitation. In no case shall any registration certificate for canvassers for charitable or religious purposes or door-to-door salespersons in interstate commerce be valid for more than a six month period. The certificate of registration shall state the expiration date thereof.
(d) Exceptions. The provisions of this section shall not apply to solicitations conducted only among the members of the entity or organization conducting the canvassing or to those in the form of collections or contributions at the regular assemblies, meetings or services of any such established charitable or religious organization.
(e) Registration Revocation. Any registration issued hereunder shall be revoked by the Director of Safety-Service if the holder thereof is convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or has made a false material statement in the application.
Immediately upon such revocation, written notice thereof shall be given by the Director of Safety to the holder of the registration in person or by certified U.S. mail addressed to his or her residence as set forth in the application. Immediately upon the giving of such notice the license shall become null and void.
(f) Fraudulent Solicitations Prohibited.
(1) No person, canvasser or solicitor shall make or perpetrate any misstatement, deception or fraud in connection with any solicitation of any contribution for any charitable purpose.
(2) No person having entered into an agreement to conduct any solicitation in behalf of any person for any charitable purpose shall fail to remit or pay to the party entitled thereto to proceeds of such solicitation in accordance with the true terms of the agreement.
(Ord. 1993-17. Passed 9-20-93.)