Peddling means moving about the County by foot or vehicle of any kind, from place to place, house to house, door to door, or upon any street or highway, for the purpose of selling and simultaneously delivering or offering for sale and simultaneous delivery, at retail, any goods, wares, merchandise, services or foodstuffs of any kind whatever.

Soliciting means traveling about the County by foot or vehicle of any kind from place to place, house to house, door to door, or upon any street or highway, for the purpose of engaging in any one or more of the following activities:

• Attempting to obtain orders for the sale and future delivery.
• Attempting to obtain subscriptions to books, magazines, or newspapers, and every other kind of printed matter not published in Howard County, the State of Maryland or the District of Columbia.
• Attempting to obtain gifts or contributions of money, clothing or any other valuable things for the support or benefit of any charitable or nonprofit association, organization, corporation or project.

No person shall engage in soliciting or peddling in the county unless that person has obtained an identification (ID) card from the Office of Consumer Protection (OCP).

Howard County peddler / solicitor licensing laws  do not apply to:

• Persons selling produce, milk, butter, eggs or poultry which they grow themselves;
• Persons making sales on private property at the invitation of the owner or occupant;
• Persons engaged in business to business transactions;
• Charitable or nonprofit associations that register annually with the administrator (see below);
• Insurance brokers with valid insurance licenses including trainees;
• Real estate brokers and agents with valid real estate licenses and their trainees;
• Politicians, voter registrars, and individuals working on ballot questions;
• Organizations who have qualified under the “Code of Ethics” exception(see below).

Charitable or Nonprofit Association Exception - Charities and Nonprofits are not required to pay for peddlers or solicitors licenses but are encouraged to register with OCP. Please note, that in order to qualify for the exemption, a charitable or nonprofit association must provide evidence that it has §501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service. 

“Code of Ethics” Exception - This exception applies to persons who sell or take orders for companies that subscribe to or are bound by a policy statement, code or regulation established by the company or by a recognized trade association in which the applicant company is a member in good standing, only if the policy statement, code or regulation:

• Requires that the offer of products or services for sale be truthful and accurate as to price, grade, quantity, make, value, performance, currency of model and availability;
• Requires that the terms of any guarantee offered in connection with the sale be furnished to the buyer in writing and clearly state the nature and extent of the guarantee; 
• Prohibits the initiation or continuation of any deceptive or any unlawful tra