Door-To-Door Selling Could Be Coming Back To Fort Collins

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - For more than seven decades it's been illegal for companies to go door-to-door to solicit business in Fort Collins, but it looks like that ban is about to go away to bring the city in line with other communities and possibly end an expensive federal lawsuit.

Right now if someone knocks on a door in Fort Collins trying to sell something, it's against the law in most cases. But now the city is considering changing that by, like in many other places, making sellers get a permit and wear a badge. Homeowners could still post a no soliciting sign if they don't want to be bothered.

The proposed change comes as Royal Crest Dairy is suing the city of Fort Collins in federal district court over what the dairy says is an unconstitutional ban on door-to-door sales. The dairy has argued in court that it's a matter of freedom of speech and equal protection.

Royal Crest uses door-to-door sales to sign up new customers for home milk delivery.

A spokesperson for the Fort Collins City Manager's Office says if it's approved the change would still protect residents.

"The courts have really changed how they interpret what we can do in terms regulating solicitations," Ann Turnquist with the City of Fort Collins said. "So we're really trying to get in line with how other communities are handling door-to-door solicitation in Colorado."

A spokesperson for Royal Crest said that because of the federal lawsuit she couldn't comment except to say of the city considering changing its door-to-door rules that "we think they're going in the right direction ... this is how we market our product. We market door-to-door. We have for 84 years."

City Council will take up the issue March 1.

The idea is that door-to-door salespeople would have to register with the city, wear a photo id badge, and complete a criminal history check.