Bridgeport restricts aggressive panhandling — touching, threats, blocking pathways, or repeated demands after refusal — under code chapter 42. Passive sign-holding remains protected speech under the First Amendment and Connecticut constitution.
Bridgeport Code Ch. 42 defines aggressive panhandling as soliciting alms while touching the target, blocking their path, following them after refusal, using profane language, or making threats. The ordinance was crafted to survive First Amendment scrutiny by targeting conduct rather than the act of asking. Connecticut state law at CGS §53a-182 disorderly conduct supplements enforcement. Following the 2015 Reed v. Town of Gilbert Supreme Court decision, content-based panhandling bans have been struck down nationwide; Bridgeport's ordinance focuses on time, place, and aggressive manner. Solicitation in roadways for safety reasons may be regulated under CGS §14-300.
Aggressive panhandling violates Ch. 42, civil fines up to $250 per incident plus disorderly conduct charges under CGS §53a-182, a Class C misdemeanor with up to three months jail.
See how Bridgeport's aggressive panhandling rules stack up against other locations.
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