Florida’s new statewide commercial-solicitation law gives homeowners a clear statutory way to prohibit commercial door knockers. It also creates an important compliance issue for businesses that rely on neighborhood canvassing.
Roofing companies, pest-control providers, pressure-washing companies, solar vendors, landscapers, security-system companies, and other consumer-facing businesses often use door-to-door outreach to generate leads and appointments. At the same time, many homeowners and homeowners’ associations want practical tools to limit unwanted commercial visitors.
Effective July 1, 2026, section 501.062, Florida Statutes, creates a uniform statewide standard for “No Commercial Solicitation” signage at dwellings. The law works alongside—not in place of—Florida’s existing home-solicitation-sale permit statute, section 501.022, Florida Statutes. Understanding the distinction is important for both businesses and property owners.
Florida’s New “No Commercial Solicitation” Sign Law
Under section 501.062, Florida Statutes, a person may not engage in commercial solicitation at a dwelling that clearly and prominently displays a qualifying sign.
The law defines “commercial solicitation” broadly. It includes attempting to sell goods or services, or raising funds for a commercial purpose, through direct or indirect contact with individuals on behalf of a business or commercial entity.
In practical terms, the statute can apply well before a homeowner signs a contract or purchases anything. A pitch for a roof inspection, pest-control estimate, pressure-washing service, solar consultation, security system, or similar commercial service may implicate the statute.
A homeowner who wants to invoke the statute should use a sign that meets the statutory requirements.
What Must a Florida No-Solicitation Sign Say?
A compliant sign must be:
- At least 8.5 by 11 inches;
- Clearly and prominently displayed;
- Visible to someone approaching the dwelling;
- Written with letters at least one inch high; and
- Substantially in the statutory form.
The statute provides the following language:
THIS DWELLING IS DESIGNATED PRIVATE PROPERTY.
NO COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION IS PERMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 501.062, FLORIDA STATUTES.
NO COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION IS PERMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 501.062, FLORIDA STATUTES.
A generic “No Soliciting” sign may communicate a homeowner’s preference, but homeowners seeking the specific statewide protection created by section 501.062 should use signage that meets the statute’s size, visibility, lettering, and wording requirements.
What Happens if a Solicitor Ignores a Compliant Sign?
A first violation of the new statute is a noncriminal violation. A second or subsequent violation is a second-degree misdemeanor.
For businesses, the practical lesson is straightforward: a canvassing representative should treat a compliant sign as a stop signal. The safest compliance rule is not to knock, pitch, leave a marketing message, or otherwise attempt commercial contact at a dwelling once the representative sees a qualifying sign.
Businesses should also remember that a single employee’s conduct can create legal, reputational, and customer-relations problems for the company. Written policies, employee training, route protocols, and supervisor accountability are particularly important for businesses with canvassing teams.
Florida’s Separate Permit Requirement for Some Home Solicitation Sales
Florida’s new sign law is not the only rule relevant to door-to-door business activity.
Under section 501.022, Florida Statutes, a person generally may not conduct a “home solicitation sale” without a valid home solicitation sale permit, unless a statutory exclusion applies. The permit is obtained from the clerk of court in the county where the applicant intends to conduct covered home solicitation sales. Permit holders must carry the permit while engaged in those sales and show it to prospective buyers before initiating the solicitation of a sale, lease, or rental.
The permit law is not necessarily triggered by every marketing interaction or lead-generation visit. It applies to a defined category of home solicitation sales, and the statute includes several exclusions. For example, the statute excludes certain invited visits, certain transactions conducted by sample, catalog, or brochure for future delivery, certain supervised minors, certain Chapter 475- and Chapter 497-regulated sellers, and certain qualifying tax-exempt organizations.
That is why businesses should avoid a one-size-fits-all answer to the question, “Do our door knockers need permits?” The answer depends on the company’s particular sales model, the nature of the transaction, the representative’s conduct, applicable statutory exclusions, and potentially applicable local regulations.
Compliance Checklist for Door-to-Door Businesses
Florida businesses that use neighborhood canvassing should consider the following steps:
- Train every canvasser to recognize and honor a compliant section 501.062 sign.
- Establish a written “do not solicit” policy that prohibits knocking, pitching, or attempting commercial contact at marked dwellings.
- Maintain route-level records and internal suppression lists for addresses that have asked not to be contacted.
- Review whether the company’s business model creates a covered home solicitation sale requiring a permit under section 501.022.
- Confirm whether representatives must carry and display permits or other identification.
- Review county and municipal rules before canvassing in a new jurisdiction.
- Coordinate marketing, operations, and legal teams so that scripts, flyers, appointment-setting practices, and contracts follow the company’s compliance policy.
- Train representatives not to misrepresent licensing, insurance coverage, storm damage, discounts, urgency, financing terms, or the purpose of a visit.
Businesses that build compliance into their sales process can protect their reputation while preserving a valuable customer-acquisition channel. Businesses that ignore signage or treat permitting as an afterthought may create unnecessary criminal, civil, consumer-protection, and reputational risk.
What Homeowners and HOAs Can Do
For homeowners, the new statute offers a relatively simple statewide tool: post a sign that satisfies section 501.062’s size, visibility, lettering, and language requirements.
For HOAs, the new law may be useful as part of a broader property-management and resident-communication strategy. An association may wish to:
- Educate residents about the new statutory sign standard.
- Consider whether association rules, entrance signage, and access-control procedures are consistent with the governing documents and applicable law.
- Train management and security personnel on how to document complaints.
- Preserve photographs of signs, video footage, visitor logs, representative identification, company names, vehicle information, and written communications when problems arise.
- Avoid assuming that one individual complaint resolves all legal questions concerning access, enforcement, trespass, association authority, or vendor activity.
Importantly, a community-wide “no solicitation” policy can raise different issues than an individual homeowner’s compliant statutory sign. HOA boards should evaluate their declaration, rules, gate and common-area access procedures, local ordinances, and enforcement practices before adopting or revising solicitation policies.
The Bottom Line
Florida now has a uniform statutory framework allowing homeowners to prohibit commercial solicitation at their dwellings through a properly displayed sign. Businesses that conduct door-to-door marketing, however, must still evaluate the separate home-solicitation-sale permit rules and any applicable local requirements.
For businesses, the objective should be compliance without unnecessarily abandoning legitimate customer outreach. For homeowners and HOAs, the objective should be clear notices, sound documentation, and rules that match the community’s governing authority.
Southern Atlantic Law Group assists Florida businesses, homeowners, and community associations with consumer-protection compliance, commercial practices, contract issues, business policies, and property-related disputes. If you need assistance assessing a door-to-door sales program or developing a solicitation policy for your property or association, contact our office.
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