Treasure Valley No Soliciting Laws: What Homeowners Should Know

If you have dogs, you know exactly how this goes. Someone rings the doorbell, your dogs immediately lose their minds and whatever peaceful thing was happening in your house is now over.

You get to the door and there’s someone wanting to sell you pest control, solar panels, internet service, a security system or something else you had absolutely no intention of buying that day and the entire time you’re standing there, you’re looking at the No Soliciting sign right next to your door.

This has happened enough that I finally wondered whether those signs actually mean anything. Well, after digging around and making some calls, it turns out they do.

Can Door-to-Door Solicitors Ignore a No Soliciting Sign in Idaho?

In several Treasure Valley cities, regulated commercial solicitors aren’t supposed to knock if you’ve clearly posted that you don’t want them there.

I checked the rules in Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna and Garden City, and all five have language prohibiting solicitors from entering property displaying a No Soliciting or similar sign.

Now, there are exceptions. Political canvassers, certain nonprofit organizations, school fundraisers and other groups may fall under different rules. But the guy trying to sell you pest control while standing three feet from your No Soliciting sign has to go.

Do Door-to-Door Salespeople Need a Permit in Boise and the Treasure Valley?

In many Treasure Valley cities, commercial door-to-door salespeople need some form of city license or permit.

Nampa requires approved peddlers to wear a city issued permit badge. Caldwell requires licensed salespeople to carry their license and show it when requested and Kuna requires licenses to be worn in full view.

Meridian uses something called a Mobile Sales Unit License and approved solicitors receive a badge with their photograph, license number and City of Meridian logo.

So just ask: “Can I see your city permit?” Someone who is supposed to have one should be able to show it.

Just remember that a permit doesn’t mean the city recommends the company or thinks you’re getting a good deal. It simply means the person has gone through that city’s licensing process.

Eagle Residents Can Join a No Soliciting Registry

Here’s something I didn’t know until I started looking into this, Eagle has an actual No Soliciting Registry.

Residents can put their address on the city’s list, and even an entire HOA can request to be included.

You do have to re-register each calendar year, but if door-to-door salespeople are driving you crazy, that’s certainly worth knowing about.

What Should You Do If a Solicitor Won’t Leave Your Idaho Home?

This one applies beyond the individual city ordinances. Idaho’s consumer-protection rules say a seller must promptly leave when you indicate that you don’t want to buy what they’re selling or ask them to leave.

And I think sometimes we’re too polite about this. You don’t owe someone who unexpectedly showed up at your house an explanation, you don’t have to listen to the entire pitch and you don’t have to tell them who currently sprays your house for bugs.

You can simply say: “No thank you. I’m not interested. Please leave.”

Done.

If they refuse to leave, become aggressive, try to enter your home or make you feel threatened, shut and lock the door and contact law enforcement. Call 911 if there’s an immediate threat or emergency.

How Can You Tell If a Door-to-Door Salesperson Is a Scam?

This may actually be harder than figuring out whether they’re properly licensed, because legitimate salespeople can be pushy, and scammers can look incredibly legitimate.

So don’t let the stranger on your porch be your only source of information about the company they claim to represent.

Ask for their name, company and their city permit, if one is required. Then look up the company yourself. Don’t rely solely on the website, phone number or QR code they hand you.

Maybe it’s legitimate, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with saying you’ll research the company and contact them yourself if you’re interested.

If the deal disappears the moment you close your front door, I probably didn’t want that deal anyway.

Can You Cancel a Door-to-Door Sale in Idaho?

For many qualifying door-to-door purchases of $25 or more, consumers have until midnight on the third business day after the sale to cancel. There are some exceptions, so don’t assume every purchase qualifies.

But if you agreed to something on your porch and regretted it five minutes later, read the paperwork immediately. For covered sales, you should receive information explaining your cancellation rights.

How to Handle Door-to-Door Solicitors in the Treasure Valley

Personally, I’m keeping my No Soliciting sign up and depending on where you live, it may carry more weight than you realized.

And the next time somebody ignores it, I’m not opening the door just because they rang the bell and If I do answer, I’ll ask to see their permit. I’m not buying anything under pressure and if I say I’m not interested, that’s the end of the conversation.

I think most of us put that little sign beside the door because we’re not trying to be rude. We just don’t want you to ring the doorbell, make the dogs lose their minds and try to sell us something we never asked for.

And now at least we know that, in much of the Treasure Valley, we’re not unreasonable for expecting people to respect it.