Home solicitation sale; permit required.

(1)(a) It is unlawful for any person to conduct any home solicitation sale, as defined in s. 501.021, or to supervise excluded minors conducting such sales provided in subparagraph (b)5., in this state without first obtaining a valid home solicitation sale permit as provided in this section.

(b) The following are excluded from the operation of this section:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Solicitors, salespersons, or agents conducting a sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services by sample, catalog, or brochure for future delivery.

5. 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.

6. Those sellers or their representatives that are currently regulated as to the sale of goods and services by chapter 475 or chapter 497.

7. 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).

(2) Applicants for permits shall file sworn applications in writing with the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which applicants intend to conduct home solicitation sales. The clerk of the circuit court for the county is authorized to impose a reasonable permit fee sufficient to offset the administrative costs associated with the permitting procedure. Each application shall be on a form as required by the clerk of the circuit court for the county receiving the application, but shall contain the following as a minimum:

(a) Full name of applicant.

(b) Date of birth of applicant.

(c) Race and sex of applicant.

(d) Permanent residence address of applicant.

(e) Local residence address of applicant.

(f) Name and address of applicant’s employer.

(g) Two recent color photographs of applicant.

(h) A statement as to whether or not the applicant has been convicted of or has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any crime, the nature of the offense, and the punishment or penalty assessed therefor.

(i) A complete set of fingerprints taken by an authorized law enforcement agency.

(3) Upon receipt of a sworn application for a home solicitation sale permit, the clerk of the circuit court for the county shall submit the fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state processing and a copy of the application to the sheriff for a local criminal background investigation. Both the Department of Law Enforcement and the sheriff shall report any criminal justice information to the clerk of the circuit court for the county within 60 days after receipt of the fingerprints and copy of application.

(4) A clerk of the circuit court for the county may revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance of any home solicitation sale permit if it is determined that an applicant or permitholder has:

(a) 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.

(b) Has obtained a permit by fraud, false statement, misrepresentation, or failure to truthfully answer any question in the required permit application.

(c) Has failed to obtain required county or municipal occupational licenses.

(d) Has failed in any material respect to comply with the provisions of ss. 501.021-501.055.

(5) Whenever any person, after applying for or receiving a home solicitation sale permit, moves from the address named in such application or in the permit issued to her or him or when the name of a permitholder is changed by marriage or otherwise, such person shall within 15 days thereafter notify the issuing clerk of the circuit court for the county in writing of her or his old and new addresses or of which former and new names and of the number of her or his permit.

(6) The issuing clerk of the circuit court for the county shall notify each applicant or permitholder of a decision to deny, suspend, or revoke a permit by certified mail sent to any one of the last addresses submitted by the applicant or permitholder.

(7) If the investigation provided for in subsection (3) reveals no grounds for denial of a home solicitation sale permit, the clerk of the circuit court for the county shall issue a home solicitation sale permit in the form of a laminated identification card which shall bear the photograph of the permitholder; the permitholder’s full name, date of birth, race, and sex; the name and address of the permitholder’s employer or the statement “self-employed”; the signature of the permitholder; a permit number; an expiration date; and a telephone number of the issuing clerk’s office which consumers may call to verify the validity of the permit. A permit issued hereunder shall be valid for a period of 1 year from the date of issuance unless earlier revoked as provided for in this section.

(8) Every permitholder shall carry the permit and certificate required by this section 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.