Council denies 60-day peddler license after debate over state permit and free-speech limits

The Coventry Town Council denied a 60-day peddler license requested by Christopher Schwarz, a college student who said he was in-town for a summer internship selling educational and faith-based books.

Schwarz told the council he was operating through a summer program and had registered with local police, planned to notify neighbors and post on social media, and was attempting to obtain state paperwork. "This is my fun summer internship. I'm a college student from the University of Central Florida... I get to learn to run my own business selling educational and even some faith-based products to families," Schwarz said during his appearance.

Council members pressed on public-safety and nuisance concerns for door-to-door solicitation and said the council frequently fields complaints when solicitors approach private homes. Several members said they were reluctant to encourage door-to-door sales in residential neighborhoods. One council member moved to deny the license based on the applicant’s failure to present a Rhode Island retail-sales permit; the motion passed by voice vote.

Town Solicitor (speaking to legal risks) cautioned the council that broad or categorical bans on door-to-door solicitation can raise First Amendment and state statutory issues. "I just want to caution the council that the court takes a pretty strict view when it comes to the exercise of First Amendment rights," the solicitor said, adding municipal denials can be challenged if they are not based on narrowly defined, content-neutral rules. The solicitor also advised that denying the application on the specific factual ground — lack of the state retail-sales license — was a legally defensible basis for denial.

The transcript shows the final council action was to deny the 60-day peddler license because the applicant had not obtained the Rhode Island retail-sales permit; the council recorded the vote as a voice vote and did not provide a roll-call tally in the public record.

The council directed staff to consider discussing the municipal ordinance and enforcement practices in a future executive session, and members suggested possible updates to the town’s peddler/solicitation ordinance to address modern concerns and protections for vulnerable residents.

The applicant left the meeting after the denial.