The Natchitoches Police Department would like to notify the public of City Ordinance Section 23-1 Registration and restrictions related to canvassers, solicitors and peddlers. With the summer months approaching and with the recent storms that have affected our city several vendors have come to our area to sell their products in our neighborhoods. Solicitors who have a permit are allowed to knock or ring the door bell of a dwelling within the city limits between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; unless the residence had a no solicitor’s sign posted.

The City Ordinance states that:
Sec. 23-1. – Registration and restrictions related to canvassers, solicitors and peddlers.
(a) Definitions. As used in this section:

(1) Canvassing, soliciting or peddling, unless expressly provided for otherwise, means traveling from residence to residence within the City of Natchitoches, without having a previous appointment to visit the residence or residences visited for the purpose of exposing or offering for inspection or sale, goods, wares, merchandise, foodstuffs or any other property, tangible or intangible, or services, or for the purpose of taking or attempting to take orders for the purchase of goods, wares, merchandise, foodstuffs or other property, tangible or intangible for future delivery. “Canvassing”, “soliciting” or “peddling” also means the soliciting of funds or other property for charitable or other purposes anywhere within the City of Natchitoches.

(2) Canvasser, solicitor or peddler means any person who engages in canvassing, soliciting or peddling.
(b) Registration required. The requirements of this Section are in addition to the requirements for an occupational license set forth at section 19-17 and 19-18 of this Code of Ordinances, and the registration required herein shall be in addition to the requirement to obtain an occupational license.
Before any person may engage in canvassing, soliciting or peddling in the city, as defined above, he/she shall apply for and be granted an itinerant solicitation license as provided below.
(c) Each applicant for an itinerant solicitation license shall, not less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of canvassing, solicitation or peddling, furnish the city tax collector with the information set forth in subsection on forms provided by the city tax collector.

Application for an itinerant solicitation license shall include:

(1) Evidence of issuance of a valid and current itinerant vendor license (under section 19-17 of the Code of Ordinances) and sales tax registration to the applicant.
(2) Name, age and physical description of applicant.
(3) Complete permanent and local address of applicant.
(4) Name and address of the person, firm, corporation or association for whom the canvassing, soliciting or peddling is presently being made and any other person, firm, corporation or association for whom the applicant has solicited during the past three (3) years.
(5) A general description of the nature of the business and the goods, services or wares to be sold or otherwise sufficient to identify the subject matter of the canvassing, soliciting or peddling in which the applicant will engage.
(6) The names of all other municipalities in which the applicant has conducted canvassing, soliciting, or peddling activities during the past twelve (12) months.
(7) Whether the applicant has ever had a permit revoked, and if so, provide the time and place of such revocation.
(8) Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony violation including the time and place of such conviction.
(9) The proposed dates and times of the canvassing, solicitations or peddling.
(10) The make, model, year, color and license plate number of automobile(s) used by the applicant during the period of canvassing, solicitation or peddling within the city.
(11) Number of applicant’s driver’s license and state of issuance.
(12) An identification badge to be worn by the applicant in a conspicuous manner, said badge to be submitted for review and approval by the city tax collector. Submission to background check, if requested, by the police department for the purpose of determining the criminal record, if any, of the applicant. Applicant will be responsible for any fee associated with the background check and shall cooperate with the police department, as necessary, to complete any background check requested by the police department.

(d) Issuance of an itinerant solicitation license; duration.
(1) Issuance of itinerant solicitation license. Not more than five (5) days after completion of the application form provided above, the mayor or his/her authorized representative, shall, except as otherwise provided herein, issue an itinerant solicitation license to each applicant unless it is determined by the mayor or his authorized representative:

i. That the applicant has misrepresented his identity or intention or made a false, misleading or deceptive statement in providing the information required above.
ii. That the applicant has been convicted, during five (5) years preceding the date of application, of a felony considered to be of a nature to present a danger to a city resident.
And upon payment of a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) except that no fee shall be required for those persons excluded as a charitable, religious or educational organization as in the state’s statutes

(2) Duration. The itinerant solicitation license issued hereunder shall not be transferred or assigned or used by any person other than the one (1) to whom issued and shall be valid for a period of one (1) year.

(e) Display of itinerant solicitation license; return. Each registrant shall wear the identification badge approved by the city in a conspicuous manner at all times when in the city. Each registrant shall carry the itinerant solicitation license at all times when in the city and shall exhibit it to any resident or municipal official upon request. All itinerant solicitation licenses issued in a calendar year shall be void on and after December 31 of that year.

(f) Trespassing in violation of posted signs. No person while engaged in any for-profit canvassing, solicitation or peddling, shall knock at the door or ring the bell of any home, apartment, apartment building or other dwelling unit in the city upon which is displayed at the entrance a notice indicates no canvassers, no solicitors or no peddlers allowed, or which otherwise clearly purports to prohibit canvassers, solicitors or peddlers on the premises, unless such canvasser, solicitor or peddler is or has been invited upon the premises by the owner, lessee or occupant thereof.

(g) Time limitations on canvassing, soliciting and peddling. No canvasser, solicitor or peddler shall knock on the door or ring the bell of any home, apartment, apartment building or other dwelling unit in the city prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. in any given day.

(h) Revocation of itinerant solicitation license. An itinerant solicitation license issued under this chapter shall be revoked by the mayor, or his designee, for any of the following causes:
(1) It is subsequently determined that the registrant provided false, misleading or deceptive information in completing the application set forth in section (c), above, or has violated the provisions of this chapter.
(2) The registrant is convicted of a felony violation considered to be of a nature to present danger to a city resident.
(3) The registrant is convicted of a violation of any provision of this chapter.
Notice shall be given to the registrant in person or by certified mail of such revocation together with the reason for same.

(h) Reserved.

(i) Penalty. All parochial or municipal officers are hereby empowered and directed to cause all peddlers to exhibit their city license, if any; and, upon such peddlers failing to do so, and any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be punished in accordance with section 10-76 of this Code.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Captain Billy Meziere at (318) 352-3986 or the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101.

How to report an anonymous tip via Natchitoches Crime Stoppers:

You can also report a tip anonymously by downloading the P3 Tips app on your smart phone or by calling Natchitoches Crime Stoppers at (318) 238-2388. All tips remain confidential and the caller can receive a cash reward up to $3,000 for the arrest of an offender.