Torrance Municipal Code Art. 1 Canvassers and Solicitors

(Amended by O-2129; O-2288; O-2363; O-2843; O-3170; O-3229; O-3354; O-3364)

In addition to the license tax payable under this Division as required for a resident business, there shall be payable:

a) An annual tax of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00)* for each person acting as a canvasser or solicitor in the City, which One Hundred Dollar ($100.00)* tax shall be prorated by the unexpired quarters, or, at the discretion of the licensee;

b) An annual tax of Eight Hundred Sixty-Five Dollars ($865.00)* plus an additional annual tax of Thirty-Two Dollars ($32.00)* for each person representing the licensee as canvasser or solicitor in the City. The additional Thirty-Two Dollars ($32.00)1 shall not be prorated.

(Amended by O-3400)

Canvasser or solicitor shall mean an individual, whether resident of the City or not, traveling either by foot or by vehicle or by any other type of conveyance, from place to place, from house to house, or from street to street, taking or attempting to take orders for the sale of real or personal property or for service to be furnished or performed whether or not such person has for sale or sample the subject of such sale, or whether he is collecting advance payments on such sale or not. Such definition shall include any person who for himself or for another hires, leases, uses or occupies any building, structure, tent, hotel room, lodging house, apartment, shop or any other place within the City for the sole purpose of exhibiting samples and taking orders for future delivery. Canvassers or solicitors shall not include California licensed real estate brokers or agents in the normal course of their real estate practice.

The provisions of this Article are applicable to all canvassers and solicitors, as herein defined, but shall not apply to salesmen calling on established business in the City.

No license shall be issued under the provisions of this Article whether pursuant to Sections 34.1.1. and 34.1.2. hereof, or otherwise:

a) Until the applicant has furnished the License Supervisor with a statement containing the following information:

1. Name and address of applicant and type of business for which license is required;

2. Name and address of person, firm or corporation represented by applicant;

3. Letter authorizing applicant to represent said person, firm or corporation;

4. Record of convictions for violation of any law, except minor traffic laws;

5. Name and address of persons by whom applicant has been employed for the past five (5) years (not over five);

6. Names and addresses of three (3) responsible persons who have known applicant for more than three (3) years;

7. Fingerprints of applicant;

8. Two (2) copies of a one (1) inch square photograph of applicant taken within two (2) years from date of application, one of which shall be attached to the license certificate or identification card, if the same is issued, and the other to be retained by the License Supervisor;

9. Such other information as the License Supervisor may require.

b) and except as provided in Section 34.1.1. herein, until the following conditions have been satisfied:

1. The application shall have been approved by the Chief of Police. If it is the judgment of the Chief of Police that the granting of the license would probably be detrimental to the public peace, morals or safety, or if it is found that the applicant has been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude, the Chief of Police shall recommend to the License Supervisor that the application be denied;

2. The application shall have been approved by the Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau where such approval is otherwise required by the laws of the City;

3. The application shall have been approved by the County or City Health Officer where such approval is otherwise required by the laws of the City.

(Amended by O-1708)

No canvasser or solicitor selling or pretending to sell, or offering for sale or demonstration, goods, wares or merchandise of any kind or character, or any article, material or substance, shall ring the bell or knock on the door of, or attempt to gain entrance to, any residence, dwelling, flat, or apartment after 9:00 P.M., in the evening of any day and before 9:00 A.M. in the morning of any day.

(Amended by O-1708; O-3357; O-3381)

a) No person for the purpose of peddling or soliciting, or pretending to peddle or solicit shall ring the bell or knock at or on any door or building, or attempt to gain admittance to or cause or hire others for the purpose of peddling or soliciting to attempt to gain admittance to any premises whereon a sign bearing the words: "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers," "No Advertisement," "No Canvassers," "No Solicitors" or any similar notice, indicating in any manner that the occupants of said premises do not desire to be molested or to have their right of privacy disturbed.

b) The above provision shall apply to either canvassers, solicitors or both of them if any sign bears the words set forth in this section or refers by other terms to those persons who are defined in Section 34.1.2

c) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any peddler or solicitor who knocks at any door or rings any bell at the prior invitation or with the prior consent of some member of the household at which he so applies for admission.

(Amended by O-1387; O-1725)

a) No licensee or person required to have a license by the provisions of this Code shall permit children under the age of sixteen (16) years to canvass or solicit, unless accompanied by an adult: provided, however, that no more than five (5) such children may canvass or solicit under the supervision of one (1) adult where such solicitation is conducted in a group, each member of which can be visually observed at all times by such adult;

b) In no event shall any children under the age of sixteen (16) years be permitted to solicit funds after the hour of 6:00 P.M. during the months of May, June, July and August or after the hour of 5:00 P.M. during all other months;

c) This Section shall not apply to newsboys selling, delivering or making collections for newspapers or magazines; provided, however, that no such sales, deliveries or collections shall be made after the hour of 9:00 P.M.

(Amended by O-1708; O-2129; O-2288)

a) Any person claiming to be engaged in interstate or foreign commerce shall file a verified statement with the License Supervisor disclosing the basis upon which he claims such exemption, which statement shall contain such information as required by the License Supervisor and the City Attorney.

b) Upon the filing of the statements as hereinabove required by this Section, the License Supervisor shall present the same to the City Attorney. If it appears to the City Attorney that the applicant is entitled to exemption from the payment of a license tax he shall approve the issuance of a license without the payment of a tax. The License Supervisor shall thereupon forthwith comply with said approval.

c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a) and b), a processing and investigation fee of $8.502 shall be charged to each applicant for a canvassers or solicitors license.

(Added by O-196; Amended by O-846)

a) Every disabled veteran of the United States shall receive a canvassers and solicitors license free of charge to said person, provided that the applicant has filed with the License Supervisor, as proof of his right to said exemption, the following documents:

1. A certificate of honorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a certified or exemplified copy thereof;

2. A certificate of total disability, issued by the United States or a certified or exemplified copy thereof; or

3. A certificate of disability in the amount of fifty (50) percent or more issued by the United States, or a certified or exemplified copy thereof, and a statement that the applicant is physically unable to earn his livelihood by manual labor signed by a practicing physician or surgeon employed by the United States, or the County of Los Angeles, or by any physician or surgeon who is engaged in private practice in the City.

b) No license issued pursuant to this Article shall be assigned or transferred and no person, except the person named in said license, shall be permitted to carry on any of the business authorized by such license;

c) The exemption provided in this Section is personal to the veteran exempted from the payment of a license tax, and shall not apply to any other business conducted by such veteran in which others are employed or to any business other than house-to-house, or place-to-place canvassing or soliciting of merchandise, or soliciting orders thereof by such veteran personally.