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HANDBILL DISTRIBUTOR‟S RULES This is a summary of official regulations within the City of Midland. See Chapter 10 of the Midland Code of Ordinances for exact provisions. Available at the City Clerk‟s Office, 333 W. Ellsworth St. A. If distributed door to door, handbills must be either handed directly to a person or placed so wind does not blow them away. (10-23 of City Code) Handbills cannot be left at any vacant building or property. (10-22 of City Code) Mailboxes can only be used for mail carried by the Post Office. (10-23 of City Code) No handbills can be distributed to property where any person there has said not to distribute handbills (or similar words) (10-23 of City Code) No handbills can be distributed on private property which has a sign indicating “private” or prohibiting “trespassing”, “peddlers”, “solicitors”, “handbills” or similar notice. (10-24 of City Code) B. Non-commercial handbills may be handed to people on public sidewalks or to persons in vehicles who are willing to take it. “Commercial” handbills cannot be distributed in any manner on public sidewalks, streets, parks, public buildings and grounds and similar places. (10-20 and 10-21 of City Code) NOTE: A “commercial” handbill is anything which --advertises the sale of items, or „ --promotes any business, or --promotes any private profit making event, or --is itself sold for private gain. (10-2 of City Code) A newspaper defined by federal statute or regulation and distributed four times a year or more to paying subscribers is not a handbill. (10-2 of City Code) Handbills cannot be left on or in sidewalks, streets, parks, public buildings and grounds and similar places. (10-20 of City Code) Handbills cannot be distributed on or in any empty car, truck or other vehicle. (10-21 of City Code) C. There are penalties for failure to follow these rules. (1-11, 10-25 and 10-27 of City Code) ---PAGE BREAK--- From the City of Midland Code of Ordinances: Section 10-26. Name and Address of Distributor of Handbills. It shall be unlawful for any person to distribute, deposit, scatter, hand out or circulate any commercial handbill in any place, under any circumstances, which does not have printed on the cover, front or back, or on the the first sheet if without cover, thereof, the name and address of the following: A The person who printed, wrote, compiled or manufactured the same B The person who caused the same to be distributed C Any local agent of the person who printed, wrote, compiled or manufactured same, or any local agent of the person who caused the same to be distributed if that person resides or has its principle place of business outside the County of Midland