The doorknob rule every Chicago campaign should know
Chicago's municipal code lists hanging commercial advertising on the doorknob of an entrance door or gate as an unlawful way to distribute it at a home. The same section rules out wedging ads into or under a door where they could interfere with the lock, leaving a stack on the premises, and any method that lets the wind carry a piece away. It is allowed in three cases: the piece is placed in the recipient's hands, the owner or manager has posted express written consent, or it is left in a spot the owner or manager designated where the weather is unlikely to dislodge it. Fines run from $200 to $1,000 per offense, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The code also presumes, unless shown otherwise, that the business advertised on the piece is the one that distributed it, so a fine can land on your business even when a hired walker made the mistake.
Source: Chicago Municipal Code 10-8-271. Read October 2026. Check the current rule before you print.
No Soliciting signs, and why poles are a poor bet
Where an owner, occupant or manager has posted a No Trespassing or No Soliciting sign, or a clear equivalent, commercial advertising cannot be left on that property. Posting ads on sidewalks, curbs, lampposts, utility poles, hydrants, shade trees or bus shelters is prohibited too, with fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense and liability for any damage. Put together, the rules point you toward people and mailboxes with postage, not toward doors and poles.
Sources: Chicago Municipal Code 10-8-271; Chicago Municipal Code 10-8-320. Read October 2026. Check the current rule before you print.
What works instead: mailed postcards, and hand to hand
A mailed postcard carries postage, so it can reach every door on a route without touching a knob. Our direct mail postcards arrive at your door for you to mail through USPS, to your own list or on a USPS Every Door Direct Mail route; postage is paid separately. For walking campaigns, hand flyers to people at events, storefronts and your own counter. Federal law keeps unstamped flyers out of mailboxes, so the mailbox is never the fallback.
Source: 18 U.S.C. 1725, postage unpaid on deposited mail matter. Read October 2026.
Winter has its own calendar
The city's overnight parking ban runs December 1 to April 1 on 107 miles of main streets, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., snow or not. If your crews or customers park on those streets, it belongs on your winter flyers and schedules.
Source: City of Chicago, winter overnight parking ban. Read October 2026.
Materials for a Chicago winter
Paper belongs in hands in January, not on porches. For vehicles, our car magnets are rated salt spray and brine resistant and stick to steel panels only, so try a fridge magnet on the door first. Storefront banners hold up best in the outdoor 15 oz or heavy duty 18 oz vinyl with metal grommets and heat welded edges.
