DATE: 08/19/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2026-295
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
ORDINANCE AMENDING CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 5.34
(SOLICITORS) AND A RESOLUTION UPDATING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES
SCHEDULE FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE CORONA MUNICIPAL CODE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider the adoption of Ordinance No. 3432, which amends Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 5.34 (Solicitors) to strengthen and clarify the regulations for door-to-door solicitation within the City, and to consider the approval of Resolution No. 2026-087, to amend the City’s administrative penalties schedule and increase the penalties for violations of CMC 5.34. These amendments are intended to promote more positive interactions between solicitors and residents and to expand protections against aggressive solicitations.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Introduce, by title only, and waive full reading for consideration of Ordinance No. 3432, first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 5.34 of the Corona Municipal Code to update the regulations for solicitors.
b. Approve Resolution No. 2026-087 amending the Administrative Penalties Schedule for violations of the Corona Municipal Code on the date that Ordinance No. 3432 becomes effective.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 5.34 establishes a permitting and regulatory program for solicitations in the City, in an effort to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of residents in the City. At its meeting on July 1, 2026, the City Council considered Vice Mayor Speake’s request to update the City’s solicitor regulations to address the following issues:
1. Clarification of “Solicitation” Definition
2. Strengthening “No Soliciting” Protections
3. Graduated Administrative Penalty Structure
4. Transparency and Field Verification of Solicitors
5. Permit Enforcement and Revocation Triggers
6. Do Not Solicit Registry
7. Public Education and Compliance Awareness
The City Council directed staff to return with an ordinance amending certain sections of CMC Chapter 5.34 and the Administrative Penalties Schedule to encourage positive interactions between residents and solicitors, and to expand the protections against aggressive solicitations.
ANALYSIS:
The solicitor regulations in CMC Chapter 5.34 impose reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on solicitation in a content-neutral manner, while respecting the constitutional rights to free speech for all citizens. The solicitor regulations allow individuals to determine their comfort level and privacy, as to whether or not they want to receive solicitations.
As directed by the City Council, the following changes are being proposed to the City’s Municipal Code and Administrative Penalties Schedule to increase the effectiveness of the regulations for solicitations:
o Amend the definition of “solicitor” to make it clear that it includes “lead generators” (i.e., persons who collect information for the purpose of connecting persons with providers of services, goods, or merchandise). o Clarify that attempting to engage in solicitations at locations that have “No Soliciting” or “No Trespassing” signs posted is considered aggressive soliciting, and is subject to increased penalties.
o Clarify that aggressive solicitations can result in permits being revoked after just one violation, and clarify that other violations of the solicitor regulations can result in permits being revoked after three violations within any 12- month period.
o Add a requirement for solicitors to wear, in a visible location, identification cards issued by the City that contain the solicitor’s name, photo, permit number, and the name of the solicitor’s employer.
o Update the Administrative Penalties Schedule with increased fines for violations of CMC 5.34 and greater fines for aggressive soliciting:
Existing vs. Proposed Fines
Violation Description Fine 1
st
Offense 2
nd Offense
Each
Additional
Offense
CMC
5.34 Solicitor
regulations
Existing $100 $200 $500
Proposed $200 $400 $1,000
CMC
5.34.160
Aggressive
Soliciting
Existing $100 $200 $500
Proposed $1,000 $1,500 $1,500
In addition to the above changes, the Planning and Development Department is undertaking operational enhancements to regulate and enforce these activities. In 2024, an operational adjustment was made to transfer the permitting of solicitors from the Police Department to the Planning and Development Department, streamlining the permitting process for solicitors and sidewalk vendors. The enforcement of these activities has remained a collaborative effort between the two departments. The Planning and Development Department has recently done additional cross-training with the Police Department to increase collaboration and effectiveness in responding to calls for service related to solicitations. In addition, the Planning and Development Department has created shared resources for both departments to track solicitor permits and violations.
For field verification of solicitors, it was recommended that solicitors carry with them physical identification cards to increase transparency. As recommended by the City Council, the identification cards will not include the City’s logo, in an effort to prevent a solicitor from posing as a City employee. Staff will develop the identification cards so that they are visually identifiable, standardized (all cards look the same), and will include verification features, such as the solicitor’s name, the solicitor’s employer, a photo, and the permit number. The cost for a City issued identification card will be included in the permit fee.
For public education awareness and outreach, staff will update the Planning and Development Department’s website page and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), as well as the Solicitor Permit application, to inform the public and applicants about the updated requirements and penalties for solicitor violations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no direct financial impact associated with the approval of these recommended actions. Any potential fine revenue will vary depending on the volume of applicable transactions. Upon approval and the effective date of the resolution, the Administrative Schedule in the City’s Master Fee Recovery Schedule will be updated to be consistent with the Administrative Penalties Schedule.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
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 involves minor clarifying revisions to the CMC, and amendments to the administrative penalties schedule for violations of the CMC, which will not have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: DANNY CASTRO, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 - Ordinance No. 3432 (clean version)
2. Exhibit 2 - Ordinance No. 3432 (redline version)
3. Exhibit 3 - Resolution No. 2026-087
4. Exhibit 4 – PowerPoint Presentation