Public Conduct in Portland, ME (2026)
7 verified public conduct rules for Portland, Maine, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Aggressive Panhandling
Portland doesn't ban panhandling outright, but Sec. 17-2 makes 'abusive solicitation' a violation: blocking or following someone who declined to give money, touching them without consent, or threatening or verbally abusing them while asking for a donation. Convicted violators face a fine of $25 to $150 per offense, and the city can also seek a court injunction.
Portland Abusive Solicitation (Panhandling) Ban
Some RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 17-2
(3) "Abusive solicitation" means to do one or more of the following while engaging in solicitation or immediately thereafter: a. Blocking or impeding the passage of the person solicited; b. Following the person solicited by proceeding behind, ahead or alongside of him or her after the person solicited declines to make a donation; c. Threatening the person solicited with physical harm by word or...
Public Urination
Public urination or defecation on any Portland sidewalk, street, public way, public place or public property, or in immediate proximity to one, is flatly barred under Sec. 17-15(a). Fines escalate steeply with each offense: a $100 minimum for a first violation, $300 for a second, and $500 for every offense after that, plus the city's attorneys' fees.
Portland Public Urination and Defecation Ban
Heavy RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 17-15
(a) No person in the city shall urinate or defecate upon any sidewalk, street, public way or upon any public place or public property, or in immediate proximity thereto. (b) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section shall be punished by a minimum fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first offense; a minimum fine of three hundred dollars ($300.00) for a second offense; and ...
Skateboarding Rules
Portland lets the city council designate any sidewalk, street or public property off-limits to skateboarding, and it has used that power downtown: a 2007 council order bars skateboarding on sidewalks within the Downtown District's yellow zone, bounded by Cumberland Ave, Franklin Arterial, Commercial St. and State St.
Portland Sidewalk Skateboarding Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 28-224
The city council is authorized by council order to prohibit the riding of bicycles or skateboards or rollerskating on any public property, sidewalk, street or way within the city where such prohibition is necessary to protect the safety of pedestrians and motorists. ... *Editor's Note—Pursuant to Council Order No. 33 passed 8/20/07 and pursuant to Sec. 28-224, skateboarding is prohibited on the...
Loitering Rules
Portland's loitering ordinance bans standing or lingering in a public place in a manner that blocks street, sidewalk or building access, interferes with a lawful business, solicits sex for pay, or signals drug trafficking. Sec. 17-1 first requires a police officer to order the person to move on before any violation attaches, and refusing that order is itself the offense.
Portland Loitering and Public Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 17-1
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter either alone and/or in consort with others in a public place in such manner as to: (1) Obstruct any public street, public highway, public sidewalk or any other public place or building by hindering or impeding or tending to hinder or impede the free and uninterrupted passage of vehicles, traffic or pedestrians; ... (c) When any person causes or ...
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Portland bans smoking, including e-cigarettes, in city parks and public grounds, within 20 feet of city playgrounds, beaches and athletic facilities, and in outdoor dining patios controlled by restaurants and bars: all under Chapter 17, Divisions 4–6 of the Code of Ordinances.
Portland Outdoor Smoking Ban: Parks, Beaches, Patios
Significant RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances §§ 17-91, 17-94, 17-96
Sec. 17-91. Smoking prohibited at playgrounds, beaches and outdoor athletic facilities. (a) Smoking is prohibited both at, or within, twenty (20) feet of the following outdoor areas: playgrounds, beaches and outdoor athletic facilities owned and maintained by the city... Sec. 17-96. Smoking prohibited in all city-owned or maintained parks. (a) Smoking is prohibited in the City's public parks, s...
Jaywalking
Portland's traffic code doesn't ban crossing mid-block outright, but Sec. 28-202 flips the right-of-way: a pedestrian who crosses anywhere other than a marked or unmarked intersection crosswalk must cross at right angles by the shortest route and yield to all vehicles on the roadway.
Portland Rule for Crossing Outside a Crosswalk
Some RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 28-202
Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk, or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, shall cross at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb and shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
Public Marijuana Use
Portland prohibits recreational marijuana use, and even the act of checking how much you're carrying, in public spaces, on school grounds, and on transportation infrastructure. Adults 21 and older may otherwise possess up to 2.5 ounces, but consumption stays behind closed doors.
Portland Bans Public Marijuana Use
Significant RestrictionsPortland Code of Ordinances § 17-114 (Ch. 17, Art. VIII, Rev. 12-6-13)
(1) Recreational use of marijuana in public spaces, school grounds, and on transportation infrastructure is prohibited. (2) Engagement in activities for the purpose of ascertaining the possession of marijuana in public spaces, school grounds, and on transportation infrastructure is prohibited. (3) Adults under 21 and minors may not engage in the recreational use, possess, or engage in activitie...