FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CARBONDALE - 

DOOR-TO-DOOR SOLICITORS

The City frequently receives inquiries regarding persons going door-to-door to solicit orders and

sales. Please review the following information about our solicitation guidelines and some

suggestions for interacting with solicitors.

Solicitors within the City must apply for and be approved for a permit to

solicit in Carbondale.

When a solicitor’s permit is issued, the individual has met the criminal background check

criteria. A valid permit does not mean that the City has approved of the company on whose

behalf the sales are being sought.

Per the Carbondale Revised City Code, solicitors must adhere to the following guidelines and

rules regulating door-to-door solicitation:

• No Soliciting prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday or before

12:00 noon and after 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and national or state holidays.

• No one is allowed to solicit on any premises that posts a notice stating words of similar

meaning to “NO SOLICITORS, NO PEDDLERS, or NO TRESPASSING.”

• Each individual solicitor must carry a valid City-issued solicitor’s permit and must

display their permit when requested by residents or City officials.

• Solicitors may not misrepresent or make false, deceptive, or misleading statements

concerning the quality, quantity, or character of any merchandise offered for sale

Complaints about door-to-door solicitors may be filed with the City Clerk’s Office.

Pushy, rude, or aggressive solicitors

Beyond the restrictions listed above, the City does not directly regulate the demeanor of

individual solicitors. Remember, however, that as a homeowner or occupant, you may at any

time ask a solicitor to leave your property. Every resident has the right to feel secure in their

home. Should you feel threatened or unsafe based upon a solicitor’s behavior, contact the Police

immediately at (618) 457-3200. The City encourages residents who have complaints about

aggressive or deceptive practices of a business to file a consumer complaint with the Illinois

Attorney General’s Office at 800-243-0618 or online .

Alternative Energy Suppliers (Aggregation Solicitors)

Residents should be aware that the City of Carbondale, Ameren Illinois, and Homefield Energy

do not send people door-to-door to register residents for the supply of alternate energy.

The City encourages residents who wish to sign up with their own energy provider to initiate first

contact with the provider after comparing all rates and options. When evaluating energy

suppliers, residents are encouraged to visit the Illinois Commerce Commission’s complaintscorecard which tracks and compares the rate of complaints against retail electric suppliers

energy providers.

Residents who encounter pushy, rude, or aggressive aggregation solicitors are urged to contact

the Illinois Commerce Commission Consumer Services Division, which regulates energy

retailers, by phone at 800-524-0795 or online .

Guarding Your Personal Information

Residents should never compromise their security by providing a solicitor with utility account

information unless they intend to enroll in an alternate energy program of their own choosing.

The City recommends that residents carefully protect their account information and energy

billing information from solicitors and all other non-account holders.

How to Prevent Solicitors At Your Home

If you do not wish to be disturbed by door-to-door solicitors, prominently display a no soliciting

notice or sign on or near the main entrance of your home or building.

It is illegal to solicit at a location where proper No Soliciting signage has been posted. With or

without a sign, residents should not ever be afraid to exercise boundaries with solicitors by

refusing to answer their door or by politely stating ‘no thank you’ or ‘not interested’ and shutting

and locking their door.

Constitutional Rights of Solicitors

The First Amendment and the U.S. Constitution protect the rights of door-to-door solicitors and

preclude the ability of a community to ban door-to-door sales. The U.S. Supreme Court has

upheld free speech for commercial purposes and the City’s ability to restrict commercial door-to-

door solicitation is limited to local regulations restricting the time, place and manner of door-to-

door solicitations. Homeowners and occupants, however, do have the ultimate right to determine

whether solicitors shall or shall not be invited to their residences or property.

“Carbondale prides itself on providing its visitors, students, businesses and residents with a unique mix of edge and ease. It’s a cultural town, yet free of pretense, embracing the great outdoors as readily as urban sophistication. Here, we are open to new ideas, experiences and cultures, so you are encouraged to both express yourself and be yourself, in all ways. That’s Carbondale…All Ways Open…for family, fun, business, new ideas and a bright tomorrow.”
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