Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Gary J. Cooney, Clerk

Home Solicitation Permits

The Lake County Clerk’s Office issues Home Solicitation Permits to those who sell products or services door-to-door in Lake County.

Pursuant to Chapter 501,Florida Statutes, persons who engage in the sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services with a purchase price in excess of $25, which includes all interest, service charges, finance charges, postage, freight, insurance, and service or handling charges, and whether under single or multiple contracts, made pursuant to an installment contract, a loan agreement, other evidence of indebtedness, or a cash transaction or other consumer credit transaction, are required to apply for and obtain a Home Solicitation Sale Permit.

How to Apply

The following is required to obtain a Home Solicitation Permit:

1. Appear in Person
   You must appear in person with a valid, government-issued photo identification document at the following location:
   

   Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
   Lake County Courthouse
   North Wing, 3rd Floor - Marriage License/Passport Section
   550 W. Main St.
   Tavares, FL 32778

2. Complete the Application and Photos
   Download and complete the application, or pick-up a copy in our office. It must be signed in front of a notary or Deputy Clerk. Your photo will be taken when you appear in person to submit the application. The cost of the photo is included in the application fee.
   
   
3. Pay Required Fees
   You will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee to the Clerk’s Office and a criminal history record check fee to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). A nominal fee for fingerprinting may also be required, payable to the agency performing your LIVESCAN fingerprinting. Click here for fee information.
   
   
4. Complete Fingerprinting
   Section 501.022, Florida Statutes, requires a complete set of LIVESCAN fingerprints to be submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). A nominal fee may be charged for fingerprinting.
1. Lake County residents may book a fingerprinting appointment with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) at www.lcso.org/bureaus/fingerprinting/.
2. Non-Lake County residents should refer to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website, www.fdle.state.fl.us, for a list of LIVESCAN fingerprint providers.
3. To ensure results are returned to the Clerk’s Office, you must provide the fingerprinting agency with the Originating Agency Identifier Number (ORI#) for this office: ORI#: FL735030Z
4. The fingerprinting agency will provide you with a Transaction Control Number (TCN) when you are fingerprinted. Make a note of this number.
5. After fingerprinting, contact the Lake County Clerk’s Office at (352) 253-2648 to provide your TCN number.
6. The TCN number will also be required when submitting your request for your FDLE Criminal History Record check (step # 5).
   
   
5. Complete Criminal History Records Check
   Section 501.022, Florida Statutes, requires a Criminal History Records Check from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
1. Payment to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is required within thirty (30) days of fingerprinting through the Civil Applicant Payment System (CAPS) website at https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/caps.
2. To submit payment, you will need your Transaction Control Number (TCN), which the fingerprinting agency provided.
3. Enter your name EXACTLY as it was entered for your fingerprinting.
4. Print a copy of the payment receipt for your records.
   
   
6. Wait for Results
   The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the fingerprinting agency have up to sixty (60) days to return the fingerprint analysis/local background investigation results to this office. After all results are received, you will be notified of approval or denial.
   
   
7. Pick up your Permit
   You must return to the Lake County Courthouse to sign and receive your permit if approved. Permits are valid for one year from the issue date. The fingerprint analysis/background investigation results are valid for sixty (60) days after you are notified of the decision regarding your application. If your application is approved and you do not pick up your permit within sixty (60) days, a new fingerprint analysis/local background investigation will be required before the permit will be issued.
   
   
8. Renew
   The Permit is valid for one (1) year and must be renewed yearly by repeating this process. To ensure your permit does not expire before a new one is issued, please return to our office at least sixty (60) days before the expiration date to submit your renewal application. You WILL NOT receive notification from this office when your permit expires.
   
   
9. Keep Your Information Updated
   Upon applying for or receiving a Home Solicitation Permit, you must notify the Clerk within fifteen (15) days, in writing, of any of the following changes:
   1. Change of address
   2. Change of name by marriage or otherwise

   The written notification must include the former name or address, the new name or address, and the permit number. Please include your new phone number, if applicable.

10. Carry Your Permit
    Per Section 501.022(8),Florida Statutes, every permitholder shall carry the permit at all times while engaged in home solicitation sales and shall display the same to all prospective buyers before initiating the solicitation of a sale, lease, or rental.
    

Other Important Information

Pursuant to Section 501.022(4), Florida Statutes, the Clerk of the Circuit Court may revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance of any home solicitation sale permit if it is determined that an applicant or permitholder has:

• Been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a crime against the laws of this state or any other state or the United States, involving moral turpitude, fraudulent or dishonest dealing, or the illegal use or sale of a controlled substance, or been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a violation of any of the provisions of ss. 501.021-501.055.
• Has obtained a permit by fraud, false statement, misrepresentation, or failure to truthfully answer any question in the required permit application.
• Has failed to obtain required county or municipal occupational licenses.
• Has failed in any material respect to comply with the provisions of ss. 501.021-501.055.

 

Home Solicitation Fees

Item	Fee Amount
Application Fee	$100.00
Criminal History Record Check Fee (Payable by credit card only to FDLE)	$24.00

Home Solicitation Permits

• What is a home solicitation sale?
  

  A home solicitation sale is a door-to-door sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services with a purchase price of more than $25.00.

• Who is required to have a home solicitation permit?
  

  Any adult conducting home solicitation sales as defined in Section 501.021, Florida Statues or supervising minors to conduct such sales must obtain a valid permit.

• Is anyone exempt from the permit requirement?
  

  The following are not required to obtain a permit per Section 501.022(1)(b), Florida Statues:

  • Bona fide agents, business representatives, or salespersons making calls or soliciting orders at the usual place of business of a customer regarding products or services for use in connection with the customer’s business.
  • Solicitors, salespersons, or agents making a call or business visit upon the express invitation, oral or written, of an inhabitant of the premises or her or his agent.
  • Telephone solicitors, salespersons, or agents making calls which involve transactions that are unsolicited by the consumer and consummated by telephone and without any other contact between the buyer and the seller or its representative prior to delivery of the goods or performance of the services. 
  • Solicitors, salespersons, or agents conducting a sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services by sample, catalog, or brochure for future delivery.
  • Minors, as defined in s. 1.01(13), conducting home solicitation sales under the supervision of an adult supervisor who holds a valid home solicitation sale permit. Minors excluded from operation of this section must, however, carry personal identification which includes their full name, date of birth, residence address, and employer and the name and permit number of their adult supervisor.
  • Those sellers or their representatives that are currently regulated as to the sale of goods and services by chapter 475 or chapter 497.
  • Solicitors, salespersons, or agents making calls or soliciting orders on behalf of a religious, charitable, scientific, educational, or veterans’ institution or organization holding a sales tax exemption certificate under s. 212.08(7).

   

• How long is the permit valid?
  

  Home solicitation permits are valid for one (1) year from the issue date.

• Is this the only permit required for home solicitation sales?
  

  A municipal permit may be required for sales within city limits. Please contact the municipality where home solicitation sales will occur regarding the permitting requirements.

• What is required to obtain a permit?
  

  Review the home solicitation permit application packet here for details on the requirements.

• What is the cost of the permit?
  

  Refer to the fee chart for home solicitation application fees. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also requires a Criminal History Record Check fee. Click here for information on this fee. The law enforcement agency performing LIVESCAN fingerprinting may also require a fee.

• For what reasons can a permit be denied, revoked, or suspended?
  

  Pursuant to Section 501.022(4), Florida Statues, the Clerk of the Circuit Court may revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance of any home solicitation sale permit if it is determined that an applicant or permitholder has:

  • Been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a crime against the laws of this state or any other state or the United States, involving moral turpitude, fraudulent or dishonest dealing, or the illegal use or sale of a controlled substance, or been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, a violation of any of the provisions of ss. 501.021-501.055.
  • Has obtained a permit by fraud, false statement, misrepresentation, or failure to truthfully answer any question in the required permit application.
  • Has failed to obtain required county or municipal occupational licenses.
  • Has failed in any material respect to comply with the provisions of ss. 501.021-501.055.
• How long does it take to receive a permit?
  

  Processing times vary. However, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Sheriff’s Office have up to sixty (60) days to return the fingerprint analysis/local background investigation results to this office.

• What does a home solicitation permit look like?
  

  The permit will be a laminated identification card bearing the permitholder's photograph and additional identifying information.

• What if the permitholder has a change of name or address?
  

  Permitholders who change their address or name by marriage or otherwise shall notify the Clerk’s Office in writing within fifteen (15) days. The written notification must include the former name/ address, the new name/address, and the permit number.

• How do I renew my permit?
  

  Permit renewals must repeat the same process for initial applications. To ensure your permit does not expire before a new one is issued, please return to our office at least sixty (60) days before the expiration date to submit your renewal application. You WILL NOT receive notification from this office when your permit expires.

• Who enforces the law regarding home solicitation permits?
  

  Local law enforcement agencies enforce home solicitation laws.

• What are the penalties for failure to comply with home solicitation laws?
  

  Under Section 501.55, Florida Statutes, penalties range from misdemeanor in the first degree to felony in the third degree.

• Where can I find out more information about home solicitation?
  

  Florida Statutes 501.021 – 501.055 provide information on home solicitation sales.

 

NOTICE: Under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to public records requests, do not send electronic mail to the Clerk’s Office; instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.