A No Soliciting Community

Non-soliciting communities can be safer, cleaner and more self-aware communities.

There have been incidences of criminals pretending to be utility salesmen, incidences of real utility salesmen tricking people into giving away their information and there are always a ton of flyers to clean up.

With a no-soliciting neighborhood status, you can approve or deny any solicitors as a community, ensuring that if there’s anyone soliciting, you should know about it ahead of time. If not, call the police and they will be warned or fined. This is an excellent addition to any Citizens On Patrol program (C.O.P.).

Recommended steps:
• Bring the issue up for discussion with your community / H.O.A.
• Vote on it as a community
• Combine your C.O.P. signs with No-Soliciting signs

C.O.P. signs are the only private signs Baltimore County may allow you to post on a public sign – and with that it can only be a sign with the name of the street or a speed limit sign.

If you do not use C.O.P. signs, you may need to obtain permits for each individually placed sign, call MISS Utility, etc. It will be a monumental task for a few volunteers with limited time.

The exact Baltimore County Code and a letter note C.O.P. Grants Management regarding sign placement are included below for your reference:

§ 21-11-106. – PROHIBITED ACTS.

(a)Selling near a school. A person operating a mobile vendor vehicle, while hawking, selling, peddling, vending, or offering for sale any goods, wares, or merchandise from the vehicle, may not park or allow the vehicle to stand on a public street between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except Saturdays and Sundays, within 200 feet of any public or private school property entrance or exit.

(b)County property. A person subject to this title may not trade, barter, or sell any goods, wares, or merchandise under this title when located in a county right-of-way or on county-owned property without prior approval of the County Administrative Officer.

(c)“No soliciting” signs; sunset.

(1) A person subject to this title may not offer any service or item of merchandise for sale to the occupant of a residential property in the county if the owner or occupant has visibly displayed on the property a “no soliciting” sign, or a sign containing similar words.

(2) The prohibition of paragraph (1) applies to all residences in a neighborhood or community if the neighborhood or community has displayed a “no soliciting” sign, or a sign containing similar words, at each vehicle entrance to the neighborhood or community.

(3) A person subject to this title may not offer any service or item of merchandise for sale to the occupant of a residential property in the county before 9:00 a.m. or after 7 p.m. or sunset on any day, whichever is earlier. “Sunset” means the time of day identified by the National Weather Service as the time for sunset on that day in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

(1988 Code, § 24-138) (Bill No. 72-00, § 2, 7-1-2004; Bill No. 84-10, § 2, 11-19-2010; Bill No. 38-15, § 1, 7-16-2015 )

Note from C.O.P. Grants Management

Below is a sample of our community sign. It is being retro-fitted with a No-Soliciting addition through a local sign shop.

This content is posted as a friendly guide only and is not intended to replace professional legal guidance. If you have any questions, please consult an attorney.

Consider being kind and considerate in your refusal to allow solicitors. Consider being reasonable and not blocking other non-profits, for example, girl scouts, people taking part in the necessary American political process, religious groups, etc.

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A great American community organization for Dundalk and the Southeastern area of Baltimore County, Maryland.