Guardian Angel DIY › Guides › How to Handle Doorstep Visitors and Solicitors Safely

How to Handle Doorstep Visitors and Solicitors Safely

By Guardian Angel DIY · Updated October 27, 2026 · 9 min read

Disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Guardian Angel DIY earns from qualifying purchases.

A knock at the door is a small decision you make many times a year. Most of the time it is a delivery, a neighbor or someone selling something you do not want. Occasionally it is something else. Having a few easy, polite phrases ready, and a clear idea of what you are required to do, which is nothing, lets you handle all of it calmly. This guide covers everyday door visitors: salespeople, canvassers, delivery drivers, people asking for help and anyone who will not leave. It focuses on staying safe, staying polite and knowing where the limits are.

What you are, and are not, required to do

In general, you are not required to answer the door, to speak to anyone who knocks or to open it. A person who is not invited has no right to be inside, and a visitor who has been told to leave is expected to go. That is the basis for everything below.

The details of the law vary by place, so treat the following as general guidance rather than legal advice.

• Posting a sign. A "No Soliciting" sign is a clear message, and many sales visitors will respect it. It does not stop everyone. Some kinds of door-to-door activity, such as political, religious or community canvassing, have strong legal protection in the United States, so a sign may not keep them away. You can still decline politely, and they can still be told to leave.
• Local permits. Many towns require commercial door-to-door sellers to register or carry a permit. Rules vary, and your town or city website, or the police non-emergency line, can tell you what applies.
• Trespass. A person who has been asked to leave and stays may be trespassing. The details depend on your state and on where they are standing. If in doubt, ask the police.

Decide your approach in advance

The easiest way to handle a visitor is to have already decided. Here is a simple default that works in most homes.

1. If you are not expecting anyone, you do not need to open the door.
2. Check who it is through a peephole, a window or a doorbell camera.
3. If it is someone you know, or an expected delivery, answer as usual.
4. If it is someone you do not know, speak through the door, or the doorbell, and keep it brief.
5. If it feels wrong, do not engage. Step back, and call for help if you need it.

See and hear before you decide

A safe way to answer is to not open the door at all.

• A video doorbell lets you see and speak to a visitor from anywhere in the house or from your phone, and it keeps a record. It is the easiest way to handle visits.
• A wide-angle peephole is a low-cost option on a solid door, but it does not record.
• A side window or a glass panel works too, if it is secure. See our front door guide.
• Two-way talk means you can say "I am not interested" without being seen, or tell a visitor that the camera is recording.

If you are choosing a camera, our doorbell and camera guide compares the options and the hidden costs.

Scripts for common visitors

Short, calm and friendly works best. You do not need to explain.

Our scam guide, door-to-door scams and fake workers, has more on verifying people who claim to work for a company or agency.

Escalate in steps

Most visits end after the first no. If it does not, move through these in order.

1. A polite no. "No, thank you."
2. A clearer no. "I am not interested. Please leave."
3. A statement of what will happen. "I am recording this, and I will call the police if you stay."
4. The call. If the person does not leave, or if they try the handle, look in windows or act aggressively, call the police. Use 911 if you feel you are in danger. Use the non-emergency number if you are not. See our guide to when to call 911 and when to use the non-emergency line.

Do not open the door to argue, and do not step outside to confront someone. A camera or a window lets you watch, and the police can handle the rest.

Deliveries and service visits

• Packages. Drivers do not need to come inside. If you are home, you can wait until they leave and then collect it. See our guide to stopping package theft.
• Signature deliveries. Check the person through the door or a camera first. A real driver will wait. If you are not sure, ask to see the delivery notice, or check tracking.
• Scheduled repairs. If you booked it, check the name and the company against your booking. If you did not, do not let them in. Call the company.
• Strangers who say they were sent by someone you know. Call that person to confirm, and keep the door closed.

When someone asks for help

Some visitors have a real emergency. Most do not, and a few use a request for help as a way to get inside. You can help without opening the door.

• Offer to call. "I will call 911 for you." That helps a person who is hurt and ends the visit for one who is not.
• Do not let them in, or leave your phone, your keys or your wallet with them.
• If someone seems injured, or in danger, call 911 yourself, and stay inside.
• If they leave abruptly, note what they looked like, and tell your neighbors.

Children, guests and everyone else at home

• Teach the same rule to everyone: we do not open the door for people we do not know.
• Give children a line to use. "My parent cannot come to the door."
• Show them how to check. A step stool by a peephole or the app on a tablet.
• Tell guests, babysitters and house sitters how you want visitors handled.
• Make sure everyone knows the next step. They should call a parent, or the police if someone stays.
• No one is in trouble for calling. Say it out loud.

More on this in our family emergency plan.

Signs, pets and small habits

• A sign. A small "No Soliciting" sign, a "Smile, you are on camera" sign or a "Beware of dog" sign can deter. None is a guarantee.
• A dog. A barking dog is a useful alert. Make sure it is secure before you open the door.
• A visible camera. It tells visitors that they are recorded.
• A light. A good porch light helps you see and be seen. See our lighting guide.
• A habit of locking the door, even when you are home. A visitor who walks in through an unlocked door is a bigger problem than one who knocks.

What it costs: a simple plan

Common mistakes to avoid

• Opening the door to see who it is. Look first.
• Arguing at the door. A short no is enough.
• Stepping outside to confront. Stay behind the door.
• Letting a stranger in to use the phone or the bathroom.
• Leaving the door unlocked. Lock it, even at home.
• Leaving children without a plan. Give them a line and a next step.

Frequently asked questions