[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town
of Dover 7-27-1970 as Art. 19 of the 1969 Revised Ordinances.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The following words, terms and phrases when used in this chapter have
the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly
indicates a different meaning:
Includes any printed or written advertising matter and sample or
device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, paper booklet or any
other written or printed matter or literature.
Includes any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
No license shall be required for the distribution of religious, educational,
fraternal, political or any noncommercial literature.
A.
No one shall distribute commercial literature, or handbills,
without first obtaining a license from the Town Clerk.
It shall be unlawful for any person, either directly or indirectly,
to deposit, place, throw, scatter or cast any handbill in or on public thoroughfares,
park grounds or other public places within the Town of Dover; the provisions
of this section shall not be deemed to prohibit the handing, transmitting
or distributing of any handbill to another person giving or accepting such
handbills.
It shall be unlawful for any person, either directly or indirectly,
to distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter or cast any handbill in or upon
any automobile or other vehicle; the provisions of this section shall not
be deemed to prohibit the handing, transacting or distributing of any handbill
to the owner or other occupant of any automobile or other vehicle who is willing
to accept such handbill.
It shall be unlawful for any person, either directly or indirectly,
to distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter or carry any handbill in or
upon any private yard, grounds, walk, porch, steps, mailbox, vestibule, house,
residence, building or any other private property; the provisions of this
section shall not be deemed to prohibit the handing, transmitting or distributing
of any handbill to the owner or other occupants of said private yard, grounds,
walk, porch, steps, mailbox, vestibule, house, residence, building or other
private property who is willing to accept such handbill.
It shall be lawful for the owner or the occupant of any property to
place a sign in a conspicuous place near the entrance thereof indicating that
no handbills are desired, and it shall be unlawful for any person to go upon
said premises so posted and distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter or
cast any handbills.
The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to apply to missing
service or to the distribution of the United States mail or telegrams, nor
to the delivery of any handbill to any person who refused delivery of the
same, or to the delivery of bona fide newspapers to customers who have ordered
the same.
It shall be unlawful for any person to distribute handbills in such
a manner as to impede the free flow of traffic upon any street or sidewalk;
neither shall any such person distribute handbills, molest or annoy any individual,
group or gathering.
It shall be unlawful to tack, nail, paste, paint or otherwise
affix any handbill upon any bridge, fence, sidewalk, building, monument, pole
or post; provided that handbills may be affixed upon private buildings or
billboards if the consent of the owner shall have first been obtained, and
provided, further, that this shall not prohibit lawfully posted legal notices.
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction,
be subject to one or more of the following: a fine not exceeding $1,000, a
term of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service
not exceeding 90 days. Each day of violation of the provisions of this chapter
shall constitute a separate offense.
