What is a do-not-knock registry?
Phones have the Do Not Call Registry. Email has spam filters. A do-not-knock registry is the same idea for your front door — a list of homes that don't want door-to-door solicitation, in a form a canvasser can actually check before they knock.
The short version
A do-not-knock registry is a list of addresses whose owners have said they don't want unsolicited door-to-door visits. Instead of relying on a sign that's easy to ignore, your preference lives somewhere a solicitor can look it up — so “no” becomes something that can be checked and honored, not just hoped for.
With NoKnock, that check happens through a QR decal on your door: scan it, and the registry instantly shows the home is marked Do Not Knock. You register the address; the registry does the rest.
How it's different from what you already know
People reach for three things to stop unwanted knocks. Only one of them actually covers the front door:
A "No Soliciting" sign
A one-way notice on your door.
The gap: Anyone can miss it, ignore it, or claim they didn't see it — and it leaves no record.
The National Do Not Call Registry
A federal list that stops telemarketing phone calls.
The gap: It only covers phone calls. It does nothing for someone standing on your porch.
A do-not-knock registry
A list of addresses that a canvasser can check before they knock.
The gap: A registry is only as good as the number of canvassers checking it. That's why NoKnock puts the "no" on your door as a decal anyone can read, scanned or not.
Is there a national do-not-knock registry?
Not in the way there is for phone calls. The federal Do Not Call Registry covers telemarketing calls only— it does nothing for someone on your porch. Some cities and counties run their own local do-not-knock lists, so it's worth a quick search for “[your city] do not knock list” to see if yours does.
For coverage that isn't limited to one town, NoKnock is a private registry you can join from anywhere in the country — free, and readable at your door by anyone who walks up to it, whether or not they scan the code.
Adding your address takes under a minute
- Register your address free. No cost to list your home on the registry.
- Put up your decal. Print the QR code at home instantly, or order a weatherproof one mailed to you.
- Set your preferences. Keep it all-or-nothing, or allow back visits you don't mind — and set the hours you're open to a knock at all.
The honest limits
We'll be straight with you: no private registry can force anyone to check it, and plenty of canvassers aren't checking yet. What works from the first day is the decal itself — a clear, visible “Do Not Knock” that turns people away before they reach the doorbell, exactly like a good no-soliciting sign, with a code that keeps a record when someone does check.
The registry behind it is the part that grows: every home that joins makes checking more worth a canvassing team's while, and every ignored knock that gets reported adds to a record of who isn't. That's a real backstop being built, not one we're going to describe as finished.
Common questions
Is there a national do-not-knock registry?
There is no single federal do-not-knock registry for door-to-door solicitation the way there is for phone calls. Some cities and states maintain their own local do-not-knock lists, and private registries like NoKnock let you register your address nationwide for free — with a scannable decal a canvasser can check at the door.
Does the National Do Not Call Registry stop door-to-door salesmen?
No. The FTC's National Do Not Call Registry applies only to telemarketing phone calls. It has no effect on in-person door-to-door solicitation — that's exactly the gap a do-not-knock registry fills.
How do I get on a do-not-knock list?
Check whether your city or county runs an official do-not-knock list on its website. For nationwide coverage, you can register your address free with NoKnock in under a minute, print a Do Not Knock QR decal at home, and set which categories (if any) you're still open to.
Is a do-not-knock registry legally enforceable?
It depends on your local ordinances. Many towns already restrict solicitation at homes that have posted a no-soliciting notice, and some honor municipal do-not-knock lists. A registry like NoKnock makes that notice visible and verifiable; enforceability follows your local rules.
Is it free to register?
Yes. Registering your address with NoKnock is completely free, and you can print your own Do Not Knock decal at home at no cost. A weatherproof mailed decal is an optional paid upgrade.
Join the registry
Free to register, nationwide, and checkable at the door. Give your front door the “do not knock” it's never had.
Register My Home FreeCurious how it looks in practice? See how NoKnock works