Mayor Baker Thanks Governor Markell and the General Assembly for New Law Requiring Door-to-Door Salesperson Identification Cards

Posted on  06/01/2012 11:31 am

Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker today thanked Delaware Governor Jack Markell and members of the 146th General Assembly for passing legislation that requires any person who solicits door-to-door sales to a residential home in the State of Delaware to display a Salesperson Identification Card (ID card).

“This is an important public safety initiative for the citizens of Delaware,” said Mayor Baker. “This new law enables people to continue supporting their business through door-to-door sales while at the same time offering more safety and comfort for citizens who are sometime leery of opening their doors to salespeople.”

In addition, the company that is represented by the door-to-door salesperson is required to obtain a City of Wilmington business license. The City also encourages the company to notify the WPD as to what areas of the City their representatives are conducting door-to-door sales.

For more details about the new legislation, the Mayor is pleased to share the following copy from a news release issued yesterday by the State of Delaware Department of Finance/Division of Revenue:

Under the new law, Salesperson ID Cards must be worn at all times when conducting door-to-door sales in Delaware. In addition, door-to-door sales in Delaware may only occur between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST.

A picture of the Salesperson ID Card and required license holder is shown below. Delaware residents are encouraged to call their local police departments if they see anyone in their neighborhoods conducting door-to-door sales without wearing the registered Salesperson ID Card, or if they are visited by someone who isn’t wearing a registered Salesperson ID Card.

To further verify that a Salesperson ID Card is not a forgery, the names of all Salesperson ID Card holders are available on the Division of Revenue website at www.revenue.delaware.gov. These names will be updated throughout the year. In addition, the names of all current State of Delaware business licensees are also found on this site.

As always, residents are encouraged to take all necessary precautions when opening the door to unfamiliar solicitations. Having a Salesperson ID Card does not mean the State of Delaware has approved its holder for door-to-door sales. Instead, the Salesperson ID Card states that its holder is a verified employee of the licensed State of Delaware business listed on the ID Card.

Failure by a business to comply with H.B. 49 by conducting door-to-door sales without wearing the registered Salesperson ID Card could result in criminal prosecution, as well as fines of up to $150 for the first offense and $250 for each subsequent offense. Anyone wearing a forged ID Card that has not been issued by the State of Delaware, or falsely obtained for deceitful or malicious intent, also faces criminal prosecution and fines of up to $150 for the first offense and $250 for each subsequent offense.

A door-to-door Salesperson Identification Card does not apply to persons working on behalf of a non-profit, conducting home sales events, public utility and cable television system operators, as well as persons soliciting sales via telephone, mail, email, internet or through door drop.

For more information, contact the Delaware Division of Revenue at (302) 577-8778.