Door-to-Door Solicitors and Peddlers

The City of Marion, Illinois frequently receives inquiries regarding persons going door-to-door and soliciting. Please review the following information about our solicitation guidelines and some suggestions for interacting with solicitors.

Solicitors within the City of Marion must apply for and be approved for a permit to solicit in the City.

Per city ordinance solicitors must adhere to the following guidelines and rules regulating door-to-door solicitation:

• Must cease solicitation upon owner or occupant request
• Must obey posted “No Solicitor Invited” signs
• Must carry and display their permit while they are soliciting
• May only ring bells, knock, or engage with residents for solicitation between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever occurs first

If a solicitor does not display and cannot produce a permit, they may not be licensed to solicit within Marion city limits and may be reported to the Marion Police Department by calling (618) 993-2124.

For a list of currently approved solicitors or to verify if a solicitor has been approved and permitted by the City, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (618) 997-6281.

Pushy, rude, or aggressive solicitors

Beyond the restrictions listed above, the City of Marion 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) 993-2124.

The city encourages residents having 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.

Alternative Energy Suppliers (Aggregation Solicitors) 

Residents should specifically be aware of door-to-door energy supplier sales and solicitations. Residents should be aware that the City of Marion does 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 complaint scorecard which tracks and compares the rate of complaints against retail electric suppliers and 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. Their phone number is (800) 524-0795.

Guarding Your Personal Information

Citizens 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

Prominently display a no soliciting notice on or near the main entrance by way of a sign measuring at least 3” x 4” in size. No soliciting notices should read in letters at least 1/3” in height “No Solicitors Invited” or comparable language.  Please refer to the Notice example to the right of this paragraph.

It is illegal in the City of Marion 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 or significantly limit 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.

Issued Permits

Updated as of 3/22/2024