**consult your local state/city laws to verify this general information** The short answer is no, you don't need a permit. If one person wanted to picket, they have a right under the First Amendment to free speech. That includes carrying a picket sign out in front of a business. If you choose to do this, be sure of several things: 1. Stay on the sidewalk. Do not in any way "enter" or set foot on their property. If you do so, you're trespassing. 2. Make sure anything you say, either aloud or on any signs, is truthful. Just because you have a First Amendment right to free speech doesn't mean you can lie. You'd be facing libel and slander for any untruths you tell. 3. Keep the picketing moving. Walk back and forth. If you stay in one spot or otherwise block anyone's path, you could be violating a criminal statute. There was a car dealership nearby that had one guy picket them for quite a while. He was ticked off because he thinks they sold him a "lemon." He wore a giant lemon costume and marched back and forth with a picket sign, saying "They sold me a lemon!" It made the news and I think the dealership eventually made it right with the customer. ***again - verify all this with your local laws.***

If it is only you, no. AnswerGuys's answer is correct, except you do not have to keep moving. There are laws against loitering, but if you are picketing a business, you are not loitering. Rather, you have a specific Constitutionally protected reason fro standing their. However, there are better ways to get paid. If you have a judgment, there are a whole host of involuntary collection methods available to you. For a business, my favorite is a till tap. This is where a sheriff goes to the business, stands next to the register, and takes the money as soon as it is handed over by a customer. This is usually bad for business, which encourages the judgment debtor to pay up.