Public Conduct in Fort Worth, TX (2026)
5 verified public conduct rules for Fort Worth, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Aggressive Panhandling
Fort Worth City Code Chapter 23 prohibits aggressive solicitation that involves intimidation, blocking pathways, or harassing pedestrians and motorists, while passive panhandling remains protected speech under the First Amendment, with Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 covering related assault-by-threat conduct.
Aggressive Solicitation Rules in Fort Worth
Some RestrictionsTex. Transp. Code Sec. 552.007
Sec. 552.007. SOLICITATION BY PEDESTRIANS. (a) A person may not stand in a roadway to solicit a ride, contribution, employment, or business from an occupant of a vehicle, except that a person may stand in a roadway to solicit a charitable contribution if authorized to do so by the local authority having jurisdiction over the roadway.(b) A person may not stand on or near a highway to solicit...
Public Urination
Public urination and defecation in Fort Worth are prosecuted as disorderly conduct under Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 and Fort Worth City Code public-decency provisions, with penalties scaling from Class C citations to higher charges if the act exposes anatomy intentionally.
Public Urination and Disorderly Conduct in Fort Worth
Some RestrictionsTex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01(a)(10)
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (10) exposes his anus or genitals in a public place and is reckless about whether another may be present who will be offended or alarmed by his act; ... (a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a), the term "public place" includes a public school campus or the school grounds on which a public sch...
Loud Party Ordinance
Fort Worth City Code Chapter 23 prohibits loud and disorderly gatherings that disturb neighbors, and the city's noise and nuisance provisions allow Fort Worth Police Department to issue citations, disperse parties, and pursue cost recovery against repeat offenders for second-response calls.
Loud Party and Cost Recovery in Fort Worth
Some RestrictionsTex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01(a)(5), (c)
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy; ... (c) For purposes of this section:(1) an act is deemed to occur in a public place or...
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Fort Worth City Code Chapter 11.5 (Smoke-Free Air ordinance) has restricted smoking and vaping in indoor public places and many outdoor areas since 2007, including bars, restaurants, parks, sports venues, and within 20 feet of building entrances at public facilities, with FWPD and Code Compliance enforcement.
Smoke-Free Air Outdoor Rules in Fort Worth
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 161.087
Sec. 161.087. DISTRIBUTION OF CIGARETTES, E-CIGARETTES, OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS. (a) A person may not distribute:(1) a free sample of a cigarette, e-cigarette, or tobacco product; or(2) a coupon or other item that the recipient may use to receive a free cigarette, e-cigarette, or tobacco product or a sample cigarette, e-cigarette, or tobacco product.(a-1) A person may not distribute to person...
Jaywalking
Pedestrian crossing rules in Fort Worth are governed by Texas Transportation Code Section 552.005, which requires pedestrians to yield to vehicles when crossing outside marked crosswalks and to use crosswalks where signals are present, with FWPD typically enforcing through warnings rather than aggressive citations.
Jaywalking and Pedestrian Rules in Fort Worth
Few RestrictionsTex. Transp. Code Sec. 552.005
Sec. 552.005. CROSSING AT POINT OTHER THAN CROSSWALK. (a) A pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place:(1) other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection; or(2) where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided.(b) Between adjacent intersections at which traffic control si...
Looking for Tarrant County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Worth city rules.
Public Conduct in Tarrant County →