ORDINANCE NO. 3432
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 5.34 OF THE
CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE TO UPDATE THE
REGULATIONS FOR SOLICITORS.
WHEREAS, Article XI, § 7 of the California Constitution authorizes cities to make and enforce within their limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws; and
WHEREAS, Corona Municipal Code (“CMC”) Chapter 5.34 established a permitting and regulatory program for solicitors and sets forth the rules, regulations and requirements for engaging in solicitation activity within the City; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that amendments to CMC Chapter
5.34 are necessary to strengthen and clarify the regulations in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONA
DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The City Council finds and determines that the foregoing Recitals are true and correct and incorporates the Recitals herein.
SECTION 2. CEQA Findings. This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
This action revises permitting, enforcement, and other operational regulations for solicitors, and there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
SECTION 3. Amendment to Section 5.34.020. Section 5.34.020 (Definitions) of Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) of Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“5.34.020 Definitions.
Unless the particular provision of the context otherwise requires, the definitions and provisions contained in this section shall govern the construction, meaning and application of words and phrases used in 2 of 6
this chapter. Unless the context otherwise clearly indicates, words used in the singular include the plural and words used in the plural includes the singular.
“Director” means the Planning and Development Director for the City of Corona, or his or her designee.
“Solicit”, “soliciting” or “solicitation” shall mean and include any request, offer, enticement, or action, by any person who is traveling by foot, vehicle or other type of conveyance from place to place or from door to door or at any temporary, and stationary location on public property, which (1) announces the availability of services or for employment; (2) announces the sale or exchange of goods or merchandise of any kind; (3) makes a request for funds or other property; or (4) collects information for the purpose of connecting persons with providers of services, goods, or merchandise. As defined herein, a solicitation shall be deemed complete when made whether or not services are provided, an actual employment relationship is created, a sales or exchange transaction is completed or an exchange of money or other property takes place. The term solicit, soliciting or solicitation shall not include “sidewalk vendor activities” as defined in §5.35.020.
“Solicitor” means any person, whether a resident of the city or not, engaged in soliciting.”
SECTION 4. Amendment to Section 5.34.090. Section 5.34.090 (Permit – Revocation, suspension) of Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) of Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“5.34.090 Permit - Revocation, suspension.
(A) A solicitors permit issued under this chapter may be suspended or revoked by the Director for any of the following reasons:
(1) The permittee provided false, misleading or
misrepresented information in the application for the solicitors permit.
(2) The permittee fails at least three times in any twelve (12) month period to comply with the requirements, regulations, 3 of 6
laws and conditions of approval applicable to the solicitors permit, including, but not limited to, any provision of this chapter. (3) Soliciting one or more times in violation of CMC
5.34.160 (Aggressive soliciting) or in such a manner as to constitute a breach of the peace or a menace to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.
(B) This section shall be self-executing and the suspension or revocation of the solicitors permit shall be effective immediately.
The Director shall give notice of the suspension or revocation of the solicitors permit at the permittee’s last known address. (C) When a permit has been revoked, no other permit shall be issued under the provisions of this chapter to the same permittee within one (1) calendar year of the date of revocation.” SECTION 5. Amendment to Section 5.34.160. Section 5.34.160 (Aggressive soliciting) of Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) of Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“5.34.160 Aggressive soliciting.
No solicitor shall engage in the following while soliciting or immediately thereafter:
(A) To ring the bell of, knock on the door of, attempt to gain admittance to, or otherwise call attention to his or her presence at any residence or business that has a sign posted pursuant to Section
5.34.110 (Sign posting).
(B) Coming closer than three (3) feet to the person
solicited, unless and until the person solicited indicates he or she consents or wishes to make a purchase or otherwise receive the solicitation.
(C) Blocking or impeding the passage of the person solicited. (D) Repeating the solicitation after the person solicited has indicated his or her objection to the solicitation.
(E) Following the person solicited by proceeding behind, ahead or alongside such person after the person has indicated his or her objection to the solicitation.
(F) Threatening the person solicited with physical harm by word, gesture, or other means.
(G) Abusing the person solicited with words which are offensive and inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction. (H) Touching the solicited person without the solicited person's consent.”
SECTION 6. Addition of Section 5.34.165. Section 5.34.165 (Identification cards) is hereby added to Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) of Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Corona Municipal Code to read as follows:
“5.34.165 Identification cards.
All solicitors must, at all times when engaging in solicitation, wear, in a clearly visible location, an identification card issued by the Director containing the solicitor’s photograph, name and solicitor permit number, and the name of the firm, association, partnership or other legal entity that employs the solicitor.”
SECTION 7. Amendment to Section 5.34.180. Section 5.34.180 (Violations and Penalties) of Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) of Title 5 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Corona Municipal Code is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“5.34.180 Violations and Penalties.
It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision, or to fail to comply with the requirements of this chapter, any rule, policy or regulation adopted hereunder, or any term or condition imposed on a solicitor permit. Violations may be enforced pursuant to any authorized manner under the law, including, but not limited to, the provisions of Chapter 1.08 of this code. For clarity and for purposes of enforcement under Chapter 1.08, the term “responsible person” includes, in addition to the solicitor, the owner, officers, partners and managers of the firm, association, partnership or other legal entity that employs the solicitor who violates any provision of this chapter.
Each day that a violation continues is deemed to be a new and separate offense. No proof of knowledge, intent, or other mental state is required to establish a violation.”
SECTION 8. Severability. If any provision or clause of this Ordinance or any application of it to any person, firm, organization, partnership or corporation is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions of this Ordinance which can be given effect without the 4 of 6
5 of 6
invalid provision or application. To this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable.
SECTION 9. Conflicting Ordinances. This Ordinance shall supersede all other previous City Council resolutions and ordinances that may conflict with, or be contrary to, this Ordinance.
SECTION 10. Effective Date. The Mayor shall sign this Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest thereto and shall within fifteen (15) days of its adoption cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in a genal circulation newspaper and circulated in the City of Corona. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 2
nd day of September 2026.
_________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
6 of 6
CERTIFICATION
I, Sylvia Edwards, City Clerk of the City of Corona, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Corona, California duly held on the 19th day of August, 2026 and thereafter at a regular meeting held on the 2
nd day of September, 2026, it was duly passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAINED:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Corona, California, this 2
nd day of September, 2026.
___________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]