Carrollton, TX Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 113.04(I)
- Max fine
- $500 per offense
- Repeat violations
- each day is separate offense
- Enforcing agency
- Carrollton Police Department
- Last amended
- Ordinance 4057, Feb. 25, 2022
- No-solicitation buffer
- 25 feet of ATMs, transit stops
Summary
Carrollton's Chapter 113 solicitors ordinance makes aggressive solicitation a criminal offense citywide, banning confrontational approaches, unwanted touching, obscene language, and blocking a person's path while asking for money under City Code § 113.04(I). The ban layers onto separate restrictions on early-morning, late-night, and holiday solicitation, plus a 25-foot buffer around ATMs and transit stops. Violators face a criminal fine under § 113.06.
(I) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in aggressive solicitation which shall include the following forms of conduct: (1) Confronting someone in a way that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or other harm; (2) Confronting an individual by approaching or speaking to the individual or individuals in such a manner as would cause a reasonable person to fear imminent bodily harm or the commission of a criminal act upon his or her person, or upon property in his or her immediate possession; (3) Touching someone without his or her consent; (4) Using obscene or abusive language toward someone while attempting to solicit him or her; (5) Forcing oneself upon the company of another by ... (b) Blocking the passage of the individual solicited; or (c) Otherwise engaging in conduct that could reasonably be construed as intending to compel or force a person to accede to a solicitation. (6) Acting with the intent to intimidate someone into giving money or other item or service of value; or (7) Other conduct that a reasonable person being solicited would regard as threatening or intimidating in order to solicit a contribution or donation.
Full Breakdown
The ordinance, last amended by Ordinance 4057 on February 25, 2022, defines aggressive solicitation as any of seven distinct behaviors under § 113.04(I): confronting someone in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury; approaching in a way that would cause fear of imminent bodily harm or a criminal act; touching a person without consent; using obscene or abusive language while soliciting; continuing to solicit after a negative response, blocking a person's passage, or otherwise compelling a person to accede; intimidating someone into giving money; and any other conduct a reasonable person would regard as threatening.
This provision sits inside the broader Chapter 113 solicitors scheme. Section 113.04(A) already bars door-to-door solicitation before 9:00 a.m. or after sunset (capped at 8:00 p.m.) on weekdays, before 10:00 a.m. on weekends, and entirely on federal holidays. Section 113.04(B) adds a 25-foot no-solicitation buffer around ATMs, bank entrances, pay phones, self-service car washes and fuel pumps, transit and rideshare stops, and public parking garages. Section 113.04(E) lets any resident or business bar personal-commercial solicitation outright by posting a "NO SOLICITORS" sign at the entrance.
Under § 113.05, the person or business named or whose contact information appears on any solicitation material is presumed to be the violator, personally or through an agent. Section 113.06 makes any Chapter 113 violation a misdemeanor, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense, and no culpable mental state is required for conviction.
Violations & Fines
A Chapter 113 violation, including aggressive solicitation under § 113.04(I), is a fine-only misdemeanor capped at $500 per offense under City Code § 10.99(A)(1)(i), with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense per § 113.06. No culpable mental state, meaning intent, must be proven. The Carrollton Police Department enforces the ordinance and can cite a solicitor on the spot for confronting, touching, or blocking pedestrians while soliciting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is aggressive panhandling illegal in Carrollton?
What specific acts count as aggressive solicitation?
What happens if I'm cited for violating the ordinance?
Can I still ask for donations peacefully in Carrollton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carrollton
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