§ 11-117. Purposes.

To protect the people against the nuisance of and incident to the promiscuous distribution of handbills and circulars, particularly commercial handbills, with the resulting detriment and danger to public health and safety, the public interest, convenience and necessity require the regulation thereof; and to that end the purposes of this article are specifically declared to be as follows:

(1)

To protect the people against the unlawful activities or operations of dissolute persons of criminal habits or tendencies, representing themselves as solicitors, canvassers or handbill distributors, by requiring the registration of all such solicitors, canvassers or handbill distributors, together with the names of their employers, and by regulating the business of handbill and advertising distribution through the imposition of reasonable license fees.

(2)

To protect local residents against trespassing by solicitors, canvassers or handbill distributors upon the private property of such residents if they have given reasonable notice that they do not wish to be solicited by such persons or do not desire to receive handbills or advertising matter.

(3)

To protect the people against the health and safety menace and the expense incident to the littering of the streets and public places by the promiscuous and uncontrolled distribution of advertising matter and commercial handbills.

(4)

To preserve to the people their constitutional right to receive and disseminate information not restricted under the ordinary rules of decency and good morals and public order, by distinguishing between the nuisance created by the promiscuous distribution of advertising and commercial circulars, and the right to deliver handbills to all who are willing to receive them.

(Code 1976, § 6-4031)