Orchard Park, New York: Advocacy group seeks assurances that town officials won’t restrict constitutionally protected canvassing

The Village of Orchard Park maintains an ordinance that bans “soliciting and peddling” without obtaining a permit and paying a fee. The New York Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit research and public education organization, regularly engages in advocacy efforts, including door-to-door canvassing. 

NYPIRG has canvassed in Orchard Park in the past and plans to do so in the spring of 2025. In July 2024, the group sought assurances from the village that the solicitation ordinance does not apply to its canvassing activities. However, village officials have declined to confirm that NYPIRG will not be subject to the restrictions. 

On November 20, FIRE wrote the village, explaining that the First Amendment protects NYPIRG’s canvassing activities and urging the village to confirm that the group is free to conduct its upcoming canvassing without obtaining a permit.