Howell Reminds Residents To Sign Up For No-Knock Registry

HOWELL, NJ — Howell Township officials are reminding residents of the town's Do Not Knock Registry, after complaints of solicitors knocking on doors in recent weeks.

That included numerous complaints to the police department about a pest control company whose sales representatives were traveling by hoverboard. That company, Aptive Environmental, also known as Aptive Pest Removal, did not have a permit to solicit in the township, police said.

Residents who sign up for the no-knock registry are issued no-knock stickers for their doors and their address is added to a list of no-knock residences that are given to licensed peddlers and solicitors that seek to sell services or items in the township, the message from the Howell Township clerk's office said.

Take note, the no-knock registry does not apply to religious solicitations or political campaigns; the activities of both are covered under the First Amendment.

Howell police said the Aptive Pest Removal company did not have a solicitation permit and despite summonses being issued to its employees, told employees to continue to solicit door-to-door sales and even ignore the no solicitation requests of residents. One employee who received a second summons told police his manager told him to keep trying to sell the service, police said.

The police department said authorities were planning to pursue action against the company for ignoring the oridinance. The purpose of a solicitation permit is to vet the company and employees and to ensure compliance of our ordinance.

Police said background checks have not been conducted on any of these workers and warned residents to not give the company information or allow its employees in the house.

The form to register with the no-knock registry is available on the township website.

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