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Westerly council orders door‑to‑door solicitation ordinance to public hearing with amended hours and 'no‑solicit' list
Summary
Town solicitor told the council the proposed amendments would bring the town into First Amendment‑compliant permitting practice; councilors amended permitted solicitation hours to 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and added a municipal 'no‑solicitation' list before ordering the ordinance advertised for a Jan. 26 public hearing.
Town legal staff briefed the council on a proposed amendment to the town’s door‑to‑door sales ordinance and recommended changes to create a written permitting process, photo‑identification requirements and time‑of‑day limits that courts have found acceptable for commercial solicitation.
The solicitor argued the draft text reflects established case law and would reduce litigation risk. A vendor representative asked whether vendors would bear the cost of required photo IDs; councilors agreed vendors should pay their compliance costs. Councilor Petra moved to amend operating hours to 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and to include a town‑maintained 'no‑solicitation' registry; councilors approved ordering the amended ordinance advertised for public hearing on Jan. 26, 2026.
Councilors also discussed whether the town should proactively publish notices of permitted vendors; staff said the town could post notices on municipal web and social pages when a permit is issued but cautioned that imposing an advertisement requirement could raise additional legal scrutiny under First Amendment jurisprudence.
The measure will return to the council after public hearing with any public input and any technical revisions recommended by legal staff.
