(A) Registration required. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in business as a canvasser or solicitor, calling at residences for this purpose of soliciting orders, sales, subscriptions or business of any kind without first having registered in the City of Yuma's Customer Service Office. When registering with that office, all prospective solicitors will be required to provide the following information:
(1) The solicitor's name and home address and social security number;
(2) The name, business address and telephone number of the solicitor's employee (or if the solicitor is self employed);
(3) The type of business and the purpose of the expected solicitation;
(4) The name, address and telephone number of a party who would be able to locate the solicitor if the solicitor's address should change;
(5) Fingerprints and photograph of the solicitor taken within the previous six months;
(6) Information concerning whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony under the laws of Arizona or any other state, or federal law of the United States; and
(7) A licensing fee of $120.00.
Upon completion of the registration process, the applicant will be issued a business license authorizing such applicant to engage in a door-to-door solicitation of willing Yuma residents. Such license shall be carried by the solicitor upon his person, and shall state in bold-faced, capital letters "THIS CARD DOES NOT INDICATE AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE CITY OF YUMA OF ANY PRODUCT, GOOD OR SERVICE." Such license shall be exhibited by the solicitor whenever he is requested to do so by any police officer or any person solicited. Any person attempting to engage in door-to-door solicitations without such a license will be cited as being in violation of this subchapter.
(B) Identification required. At the time any registrant applies for and is issued a business license allowing such person to engage in door-to-door solicitation of residents, the registrant shall also be presented with an official identification card which must be presented immediately upon summoning a resident. The identification card shall include the following information:
(1) The name and address of the solicitor;
(2) A physical description of the solicitor including weight, height, hair color and eye color;
(3) A mugshot type photograph of the solicitor supplied by applicant;
(4) The solicitor's employer, and
(5) A statement informing the resident that they are not required to listen to or participate in the solicitation.
In addition to presenting the identification card to a summoned resident, the solicitor will be required to ask the resident to read the identification card, inform the resident in clear language of the purpose of the solicitation and the company or person he represents, and inform the resident that the resident need not listen to or participate in the solicitation.
(C) "No Solicitation" cards. All Yuma residents wishing to prohibit solicitors from their residences may obtain a sign from the City of Yuma's police department or the City of Yuma's Customer Service Office. These weatherproof cards, approximately three inches by four inches in size, shall be exhibited upon or near the mailbox for the residence and shall bear the words "No Solicitors Invited." In addition to the cards available from the city, a resident may also provide their own card not less than three inches in height which contains the same or similar notice that solicitors are not invited or welcome. It shall be the duty of every solicitor to first look for such a notice. Such a card so exhibited shall constitute sufficient notice to any solicitor that they are not welcome at that residence and should immediately and peacefully depart. It is hereby declared to be unlawful and shall constitute a nuisance for any person to go upon any premises and ring the door bell upon or near any door, or create any sound in any other manner calculated to attract the attention of the occupant of such residence, for the purpose of securing an audience with the occupant thereof and engage in soliciting, in defiance of the notice exhibited at that residence.
(D) Residents wishing to prohibit solicitors from their residences, but who do not wish to post the sign required in division (C) above, may request that the city place their address on a master address list. This address list shall be provided to solicitors at the time of issuance of a business license and shall serve the same purpose as the "No Solicitation" card referred to in division (C) above.
(E) Time limit on soliciting. It is hereby declared to be unlawful and shall constitute a nuisance for any person whether registered under this subchapter or not, to go upon any premises and ring the door bell upon or near any door of a residence located thereon, or rap or knock upon any door or create any sound in any other manner calculated to attract the attention of the occupant of such residence, for the purpose of securing an audience with the occupant thereof and engage in soliciting, prior to nine a.m. or after nine p.m.
(F) Bond required. No business license shall be issued to any party pursuant to this section until there is deposited with the Collector a bond in the penal sum of one thousand dollars per solicitor executed by a responsible surety company, which bond shall first be approved by the Collector. The bond shall be conditioned so that all goods, products and services shall be as represented by the solicitor, and so that such solicitor will refund any monies or purchase price on any goods, products or services which are not as represented. The bond shall also be conditioned so as to indemnify and reimburse any person dealing with the solicitor in a sum equal to the amount of payment that the purchaser may have been induced to make through misrepresentation as to the product, good, or service. Any person so misled or aggrieved by the representation of any business license holder under this division shall have a right of action on the bond for the recovery of the amount of his payment or damages suffered, or both. Nothing in this section shall prevent a single bond from being posted to cover more than one solicitor; however, the principal amount of the bond shall be equal to the total amount as would be required for such a number of individual itinerant solicitors.
(G) Revocation. Any such registration may be revoked by the mayor or chief of police because of any violation by the registrant of this subchapter or of any other ordinance of the city, or of any state or federal law, or whenever the registrant shall cease to possess the qualifications and character required in this subchapter for the original registration.
(H) Solicitation for religious or nonprofit charitable purposes are exempt from the provisions of this section provided such solicitation is conducted in conformity with all other provisions of this code and all state and federal laws and provided further that any nonprofit organization working for a charitable purpose shall have tax-exempt status granted to them by the federal government and the state.
('80 Code, § 16-36) (Ord. 2019, passed 6-17-81; Ord. 2024, passed 8-5-81; Ord. O99-44, passed 8-18-99)