A Green River ordinance is a local law that requires door-to-door salespeople to get a permit from the city before knocking on residents’ doors, and to follow rules on hours, identification, and conduct once they do. These ordinances exist in hundreds of municipalities and generally apply only to commercial solicitation. Political canvassers, religious groups, charitable fundraisers, and people handing out literature are not covered, because the First Amendment protects those activities from permit requirements.
What the Ordinance Actually Covers
The line these laws draw is between commercial and non-commercial door-to-door activity. Commercial solicitation means someone at your door trying to sell a product, offer a service, or sign you up for a subscription. That activity can be regulated, restricted, or prohibited when the resident hasn’t invited it. The Supreme Court upheld a municipal ban on uninvited door-to-door commercial sales in Breard v. Alexandria in 1951.
Everything else at your door sits on different constitutional ground. Religious outreach, political canvassing, charitable fundraising, and handbill distribution receive First Amendment protection that stops cities from requiring permits or registration for those activities. In Martin v. City of Struthers (1943), the Court struck down an ordinance that banned all door-to-door handbill distribution.1Justia Law. Martin v. City of Struthers, 319 U.S. 141 (1943) In Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton (2002), the Court struck down a village rule requiring anyone going door to door for any “cause” to register with the mayor’s office for a permit, holding that the requirement violated the First Amendment as applied to religious proselytizing, anonymous political speech, and handbill distribution.2Cornell Law School / Legal Information Institute (LII). Watchtower Bible and Tract Soc. of N. Y., Inc. v. Village of Stratton
So a valid Green River ordinance today must exempt religious, political, and non-commercial callers. If a stranger at your door is selling something, the ordinance applies. If they’re campaigning, evangelizing, or fundraising for a charity, it doesn’t.
What Commercial Solicitors Have to Do
Cities that enforce these ordinances generally require commercial solicitors to apply for a permit at city hall before working the neighborhood. The application usually involves a background check, a fee, and a review period. Fees vary by locality but commonly run between $50 and $100 for an individual permit.
Identification
Most ordinances require the permitted solicitor to wear a visible badge showing their name, the company they represent, and the permit’s expiration date. Many cities also require the solicitor to carry a government-issued photo ID and produce it on request from a resident or officer. If someone at your door claims to have a permit but can’t show one, that alone is worth reporting.
Hours and Conduct
Permitted solicitation is almost always limited to daytime and early evening. A common pattern is 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in warmer months and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in winter, with later start times on Sundays. Knocking outside those hours violates the permit even when the solicitor holds one. Ordinances also generally require solicitors to leave immediately when asked and to skip any home displaying a “No Soliciting” sign.
How to Keep Solicitors Off Your Porch
Posting a “No Soliciting” Sign
A “No Soliciting” sign is the simplest deterrent. Whether it carries legal weight depends on the local code. In many cities, the ordinance specifically requires permitted solicitors to honor the sign, and ignoring one can bring fines or permit revocation. The Supreme Court noted in Watchtower that “No Solicitation” signs, combined with a resident’s right to refuse conversation, provide “ample protection for unwilling listeners.”2Cornell Law School / Legal Information Institute (LII). Watchtower Bible and Tract Soc. of N. Y., Inc. v. Village of Stratton Elsewhere the sign works more as a request than a binding prohibition, but having one posted strengthens your position if you file a complaint.
Remember that a “No Soliciting” sign generally does not apply to political canvassers, religious visitors, or government workers like census takers. Those visits are constitutionally protected and typically fall outside what a city defines as solicitation.
Reporting a Solicitor
If someone is at your door right now, can’t produce a permit, and won’t leave, calling local law enforcement is appropriate. Give a physical description and any company name visible on their vehicle or clothing. For repeat visits, most cities take non-emergency complaints through a municipal services department by phone, email, or an online portal. Note the days and times, a description, and any business or vehicle details you have. Those reports help code enforcement and police identify patterns and act on repeat violators.
Your Rights If You Buy Something at the Door
Even when a solicitor holds a valid permit, federal law gives you a way out of the purchase. The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) lets you cancel a door-to-door sale within three business days, with no penalty and no obligation.3eCFR. 16 CFR Part 429 – Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations The rule applies to sales of $25 or more at your residence, and $130 or more at temporary locations like hotel rooms, convention centers, or fairgrounds.
At the time of the sale, the seller must give you a completed receipt or contract in the same language used during the pitch, with a bold notice explaining your right to cancel within three business days. The seller must also provide two copies of a “Notice of Cancellation” form. Business days under the rule include every calendar day except Sundays and federal holidays.3eCFR. 16 CFR Part 429 – Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations A seller who fails to provide the notices, pressures you to waive your rights, or refuses a timely cancellation is violating federal trade regulations.
Penalties for Solicitors Who Break the Rules
Soliciting without a required permit is typically a misdemeanor or municipal infraction. Fines vary and generally escalate for repeat offenses. Cities can also suspend or revoke an existing permit for violations like working outside approved hours, ignoring “No Soliciting” signs, or providing false information on the application. Where fraud, aggression, or harassment are involved, the solicitor may face criminal charges beyond the permit violation itself.
As a resident, you are never obligated to engage. You can decline to open the door, ask to see a permit, or end the conversation whenever you want.
Where the Name Comes From
The first version was Ordinance No. 175, passed on November 16, 1931, by the town of Green River, Wyoming, after night-shift railroad workers and their spouses pressed the town council to stop daytime canvassers from waking them.4City of Green River, Wyoming. 1931 Green River Ordinance Other municipalities adopted and adapted the text over the following decades, and “Green River ordinance” became shorthand for any local law regulating uninvited commercial solicitation at private homes.