Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond - City of Spencer, IA in Iowa

Brief Summary

Spencer lets you post $500 in cash or a $500 surety bond, and the city holds either one until 30 days after your registration ends. A bond keeps your $500 in your pocket for inventory or travel and is filed with the City Clerk along with your application.

Spencer Code of Ordinances section 115.06 requires every applicant for a peddler, solicitor or transient merchant registration to file a $500 bond with the City Clerk, or post $500 in cash or its equivalent instead. The bond covers penalties and enforcement costs under Chapter 115 and judgments arising from the registrant's activities in Spencer, and it cannot be canceled or refunded until 30 days after the registration expires.

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How to Apply for a Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond:

• Confirm your activity is not on the section 115.01 exemption list.
• Decide how many days you will sell. The fee is $5 per day plus the $25 application fee.
• Purchase a $500 bond from a surety authorized in Iowa, or prepare $500 in cash or cash equivalent.
• File the written application with the Spencer City Clerk, including addresses, a physical description and recent photograph, employer, goods offered, the last three cities where you did similar work, criminal history and vehicle details.
• Appoint the City Clerk as agent for service of process on the application.
• Follow the display rules in section 115.08 and stop work by 8:00 p.m. on the registration's last day.

Detailed Information About the Iowa Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond:

Registration is priced by the day

Under section 115.05 each peddler, solicitor or transient merchant registrant pays $5 for every day of registration, on top of the $25 application fee in section 115.03, and under section 115.12 every registration expires at 8:00 p.m. on its last day. Each applicant files the $500 bond in section 115.06, and the city holds it for 30 days after the registration ends.

Who must register

Section 115.02 requires anyone acting as a peddler, solicitor or transient merchant in Spencer to register with the City Clerk. Section 115.01 defines the three roles.

• **Peddler:** carries goods and sells or offers them for immediate delivery house to house, place to place, or on streets, public property or parks.
• **Solicitor:** takes or tries to take orders for goods, subscriptions or merchandise to be delivered later.
• **Transient merchant:** brings goods into the city to sell temporarily or intermittently. A merchant is treated as temporary unless intending to remain continuously for more than 60 days. Mobile food vendors are included.

Working without a registration is a simple misdemeanor for each day it continues.

Who is exempt

Section 115.01 lists activities that are not covered: newspaper carriers, regular delivery of food, dairy or household products by agreement, producers selling their own goods, activities at the county fairgrounds or a shopping center lasting under 10 days, garage sales of personal property lasting under 7 days, real estate and property auctions, tax exempt charitable organizations based in the county, and insurance agents licensed by the state.

How the bond works

• Amount: $500, or $500 in cash or cash equivalent.
• Filed with the City Clerk.
• Issued by a surety company authorized in Iowa to insure the fidelity of others.
• Covers any penalties or costs from enforcing Chapter 115 and payment of judgments from claims or lawsuits arising out of the registrant's activities in Spencer.
• Not canceled or refunded until 30 days after the registration expires.

Under section 115.07 the applicant also appoints the City Clerk as agent for service of process. Iowa Code 9C.2 points transient merchants to a state license in cities that have not adopted their own licensing ordinance. Spencer has Chapter 115, so registration inside city limits goes through the City Clerk.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Iowa Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond:

• Bond amount of $500 under Spencer Code section 115.06.
• Bond filed with the City of Spencer City Clerk.
• Surety authorized in Iowa to insure the fidelity of others.
• Bond held until 30 days after the registration expires.
• Registration is not transferable to another person.

Iowa Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Iowa Peddler / Solicitor / Transient Merchant ($500) Bond: