Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 prohibits aggressive solicitation, including approaching ATMs, intersections, and outdoor diners, while Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 governs threatening contact; passive panhandling itself remains protected speech under the First Amendment after Reed v. Town of Gilbert.
Austin Code Section 9-2-1 makes it unlawful to solicit money or goods in an aggressive manner, defined to include touching, blocking, following, threatening, or approaching within eight feet of someone using an ATM, transit stop, parked vehicle, or outdoor cafe. Pure passive sign-holding remains protected after federal courts struck content-based panhandling bans following Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015). Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 separately criminalizes threats of bodily injury and unwanted contact. Austin Police generally enforce the local ordinance through written warnings before citations, and outreach teams from Integral Care and APD's Homeless Outreach Street Team frequently respond first. Quality-of-life calls in central districts trigger heaviest enforcement, especially around UT Austin and downtown.
Aggressive solicitation is a class C misdemeanor with fines up to $500 under Austin Code Chapter 9-2. Threats or unwanted contact elevate to class B or A assault under Penal Code Section 22.06, carrying jail and protective orders.
See how Austin's aggressive panhandling rules stack up against other locations.
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