Proposed vendor ordinance could help close the door on solicitors

Proposed vendor ordinance could help close the door on solicitors

Published on February 24, 2026

We've all encountered it. You just sit down to eat with family or you're winding down for the night after a long day or maybe you just got your favorite holiday attire on and are ready to head to a celebration. Then you hear it: Ding! Ding! To your surprise, it's a door-to-door salesperson.

No one likes aggressive salespeople and that's why the Development Services Department is proposing placing certain regulations on door-to-door vendor sales.

The objectives of the Door-to-Door Vendor Ordinance are:

• To promote general health, public safety, convenience and protection of residents by prohibiting door-to-door activity at residences during times when such activity is the most disruptive to a resident's privacy.
• To regulate any solicitation activities that may occur.
• To promote the protection of residents from aggressive and intimidating sales practices.
• To require solicitors to register with the City of Fort Worth to aid in crime detection and deter deceptive practices and fraud.

To achieve these goals and ensure residents are protected from solicitors, the Development Services staff will work with the City Attorney's Office to draft an ordinance to make the following additions to the door-to-door vendor regulations:

• Extend the registration period to one year.
• Establish a $150 registration fee.
• Conduct an annual background check.
• Require vendors to wear City-issued identification.
• Prohibit soliciting on City-observed holidays.
• Exempt minors from the requirements of the ordinance.

Stay on the lookout this spring for more information on this ordinance if it passes City Council.

For questions regarding this information, contact Development Services Deputy Director or Development Services Assistant Director .

Photo: New regulations for door-to-door sales representatives could be on the horizon.

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