During our winter slow down, I’ve been having my employee put out door hangers in different neighborhoods in our area. A couple of weeks ago he was stopped by police after someone had called because they thought he was going through mailboxes (the kind on the wall beside the door). Today, he was stopped again. The cop told him two people has called about someone walking around door to door. These aren’t gated neighborhoods and all he’s doing is walking up to the door (via driveway and sidewalk) and placing a door hanger on the knob/handle. He’s driving a company truck and wearing a uniform. What is going on with these people?? Do any of you ever have this issue?
people are stir crazy from covid
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People are paranoid and police are bored
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Your competition has connections… 
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Some people believe door hangers constitute “Soliciting”, it doesn’t, so they try to either call trespassing or something else.
Also, people are just anti-social and unwilling to accept others.
Someones here
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Maybe Post Cards (Postal Service delivery of course) would be a better option for those employee’s problematic areas of overly paranoid home owners, and Police who want to presume guilt before innocence. Doesn’t directly solve their down time but could still generate more work.
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Thanks guys, some people really just do have a stick up their butt. One of the neighbors called to have their gutters cleaned so I guess the neighborhood “Karen” will have to put up with us again 
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Try and make friends with your local PD. Give the dispatcher a heads-up when you or one of your employees will be canvassing a particular area. Then the dispatcher might have an opportunity to set the paranoid/anal retentive homeowners straight when they call. And I’m sure the department will appreciate being able to allocate their manpower to matters of actual importance.
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So you have to “pre-register” with the Police before you can go to work?
I’m not saying that it should be a requirement. Just that it could save everyone some hassle. And provide a possible opportunity to educate the uptight homeowners without being confrontational.
“Springfield PD, how can I help you?”
“Yeah, there’s these sketchy looking dudes going to all the houses in our neighborhood”
“What neighborhood are you in, ma’am?.. ok, are they wearing green shirts? … then I believe that’s XYZ window cleaning. They called dispatch this morning to let us know that they’d be canvassing in your neighborhood. They’re not soliciting, they’re just leaving door hangers. They seem like some really nice guys. Is there any particular reason you described them as sketchy looking?”
“Well, umm, they’re going to all the doors, and a, I wasn’t expecting any company.”
“Ok… feel free to call us if you witness any criminal behavior… Have a great day”
At least that’s sort of how I imagine it going down 
And FWIW, I probably wouldn’t bother with the heads up call if I was just doing 5-arounds after finishing a job. It would just be if I was flyering a whole neighborhood or group of neighborhoods, and I was getting the police called on me fairly regularly like the OP.
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Wow, the Mailman goes door to door as part of his job. Just saying. LOL
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Are you suggesting that @TDclean have his employees dress as mail carriers to avoid getting the cops called on them?
Lol, just kidding.
It’s honestly pretty sad. So many people have allowed their fears to outweigh their common sense. If they took two seconds to analyze the situation instead of panic dialing the police, they would have to realize that there’s absolutely nothing threatening or suspicious going on. Like, what burglars case houses wearing a logo’d shirt and driving a lettered vehicle?
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I don’t bow to “Karens”. People are an odd sort and I just want them to buy my services then get the hell out of there.
Some cities & municipalities, view door hangers as solicitation, and thus requiring a permit…
I don’t know if this city still has the same regulations, but I know a buddy that was threatened with arrest by police while trying to perform a 5UP
That is wrong of them. Those municipalities are overstepping their authority if that is happening. Door hanger distribution is completely legal for your business according to the Supreme Court. Now, if they have the property posted as PRIVATE PROPERTY or NO TRESPASSING, then that is different. If push comes to shove have them cite the statute that states it to be illegal. I would bet if they “have one” it is made up and doesn’t hold legal standing.
door hangers legal
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It’s not illegal in this area, or any area that I service as far as I know. And while solicitation would require a peddler’s license there you would actually have to be soliciting residents, not just hanging something on the door. This is actually a reallllllly small town and my company is known by the police and many of the residents there. Once my tech called and told me I called the police station to get clarification. Spoke with an officer and told him what was going on and while he said that it wasn’t illegal, the problem starts when people call and they have to respond to calls. They don’t have much going on there so any call probably gets high priority. While what we were doing was completely legal, and the response by police is frustrating, its not worth the headache to deal with so I just won’t put out any more hangers in that area.
That’s really weird. Does 911 send an officer every time someone calls because McD’s is out of chicken nuggets? I mean, they might send an officer to arrest the idiot caller…
But there’s no imperative to respond to every nuisance call. Sounds like they just like to look busy in their one horse town. Sorry for the trouble it’s caused you.
Seems that with a little imagination, they could be doing much more productive things with their spare time.
All it takes is 1 to be a headache. Once got a called by a woman who threatened to sue us because we left flyers at her doorstep. We had been invited into the neighborhood and she thought we just came to market.
Don’t sweat it. Move on mentally if you can to more productive things
the link is from a printing company, i would love to see the actual ruling can you point me to it. i have bee googling but no luck.
edit nvm found enough
In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that it is free speech that, “does no more than propose a commercial transaction” is protected by the First Amendment. Since there is no law AGAINST door hangers then you will not find a statute that says you can do it. That is the way laws work, if it is not prohibited then there is no law that says you cannot. If the Police or City Council are saying door hangers are illegal thn the burden is upon them to cite the statute (which there is none) that prohibits it. A made up one does not count, Legislature is responsible for WRITING LAWS.
