Broken Arrow, OK Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer near ATMs/cafes
- 20 feet
- Buffer near transit/schools
- 50 feet
- Offense class
- Class A
- Penalty
- $100-$750 fine, up to 60 days
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3773, Feb. 2023
Summary
Broken Arrow makes aggressive begging, panhandling, or solicitation unlawful, including within 20 feet of ATMs and outdoor cafe seating or 50 feet of transit stops and schools.
(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to aggressively beg, panhandle or solicit any other person. ... Aggressive manner ... shall mean: ... Continuing to solicit from a person after the person has given a negative response ... Intentionally blocking or interfering with the safe or free passage of a pedestrian or vehicle ... Soliciting any person within 20 feet of any outdoor seating area of any cafe, restaurant or other business, automated teller machine, public toilet or pay telephone.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 43).
Full Breakdown
Broken Arrow Code § 16-19 makes it unlawful to aggressively beg, panhandle, or solicit. 'Aggressive' conduct includes continuing after a negative response, touching without consent, blocking a pedestrian's path, using threatening language or gestures, following someone, or begging in a group of two or more in an intimidating fashion. The ordinance also flatly bars soliciting within 20 feet of any outdoor cafe seating area, ATM, public toilet, or pay phone, and within 50 feet of a mass-transit stop or school, plus soliciting minors under 18 or approaching people after dark. It does not ban peaceful panhandling generally, only the enumerated aggressive or zone-restricted conduct in Broken Arrow, Tulsa County.
Violations & Fines
A conviction is a class A offense: a fine of $100 to $750, up to 60 days in jail, or both, under § 16-19(e).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all panhandling illegal in Broken Arrow?
How close to an ATM can someone panhandle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Broken Arrow
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Aggressive Panhandling in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle aggressive panhandling.