Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Peddler / Solicitor ($1,000) Bond - City of Pleasant Hill, IA in Iowa

Brief Summary

Pleasant Hill lets you buy a peddler or solicitor permit for as little as one day, but the $1,000 bond does not shrink with the permit. Posting a surety bond instead of $1,000 in cash means your money is not sitting with the City while you work, and the bond goes in with your permit application at the City Clerk's office.

The City of Pleasant Hill, Iowa requires a license from each individual conducting door to door residential sales, for immediate or future sales, or selling from a temporary sales location. The Peddler/Solicitor's Permit application calls for a cash bond or surety bond approved by the City Clerk in the sum of $1,000.00, a DCI criminal background check for each applicant, and a permit fee based on the length of the permit. The City of Pleasant Hill is the obligee.

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How to Apply for a Peddler / Solicitor ($1,000) Bond:

Choose the permit length you need, from one day up to one year.
Complete the City's Peddler/Solicitor's Permit application with organization, applicant, business, vehicle and prior business history details.
Obtain a DCI criminal background history check for each applicant.
Buy the $1,000 surety bond naming the City of Pleasant Hill as obligee.
Submit the application, the bond, the $10.00 nonrefundable applicant fee and the permit fee to the City Clerk.
If you are a nonprofit, include proof of nonprofit status.

Detailed Information About the Iowa Peddler / Solicitor ($1,000) Bond:

The bond is $1,000 no matter how long the permit runs

The permit fee changes with the term. The bond does not. The City's Peddler/Solicitor's Permit application lists these fees:

1 day or less: $10.00
1 week: $25.00
Up to 30 days: $50.00
Up to 6 months: $100.00
1 year: $150.00

Add $5.00 for each applicant beyond the first, plus a nonrefundable $10.00 applicant fee due when the application is filed. Every application also requires a cash bond or surety bond approved by the City Clerk in the sum of $1,000.00.

Who needs a license

The City says each individual conducting door to door residential sales, for immediate or future sales, or who has a temporary sales location must obtain a license. Licenses run from one day up to one year. Charitable and nonprofit organizations are exempt from certain requirements of the Municipal Code, and the application asks nonprofits to provide proof of their status. Ask the City Clerk which requirements apply to your organization before assuming the bond is waived.

Background check and hours

A criminal background history check from the Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is required for each applicant. The application asks whether any applicant has been convicted of a felony, arrested for theft, fraud or a crime involving moral turpitude in the last five years, or has charges pending. Soliciting is allowed from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Transient merchants file a second bond

If you are selling from a temporary location as a transient merchant, the City uses a separate Transient Merchant License application. It carries the same $1,000.00 City bond and fee schedule, and it also requires a bond filed with the Secretary of State, along with an invoice or detailed statement of the goods to be sold and a statement of the sales location.

Where to apply

The City Clerk's office handles these licenses. Call 515-262-9368, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to confirm the current form and filing steps before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Iowa Peddler / Solicitor ($1,000) Bond:

City of Pleasant Hill, Iowa named as obligee.
Bond amount of exactly $1,000.00, in cash or as a surety bond approved by the City Clerk.
Applicant names on the bond matching the permit application.
DCI criminal background check for every applicant.
Soliciting only between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday.

Iowa Peddler / Solicitor ($1,000) Bond FAQs:

Is the bond smaller for a one day or one week permit?

No. The permit fee ranges from $10.00 for one day or less to $150.00 for one year, but the application requires a $1,000.00 cash or surety bond approved by the City Clerk regardless of term.

Can I post cash instead of a surety bond?

Yes. The application accepts a cash bond or a surety bond in the sum of $1,000.00. A surety bond means you pay a premium instead of leaving $1,000 with the City.

Who has to get a peddler or solicitor license in Pleasant Hill?

Each individual conducting door to door residential sales, for immediate or future sales, or who has a temporary sales location. Each additional applicant on the same application adds $5.00 to the fee and needs a DCI background check.

Are nonprofits exempt from the bond?

The City says charitable and nonprofit organizations are exempt from certain requirements of the Municipal Code, and the application asks for proof of nonprofit status. Ask the City Clerk which requirements apply to you before skipping the bond.

I am selling from a temporary location. Is this the right bond?

Transient merchants use the City's separate Transient Merchant License application. It requires the same $1,000.00 City bond and also a bond filed with the Secretary of State.