Cincinnati prohibits aggressive solicitation under CMC §910 and at ATMs, transit stops, and outdoor cafes. Passive panhandling remains protected speech under federal First Amendment rulings.
Cincinnati's aggressive solicitation ordinance, CMC Chapter 910, bans threatening, blocking, touching, or following someone while begging. It also restricts solicitation within set distances of ATMs, banks, transit stops, parking pay stations, and outdoor cafes. Following Reed v. Town of Gilbert and Sixth Circuit decisions, Cincinnati cannot ban peaceful panhandling outright; restrictions must be content-neutral. Cincinnati Police use the ordinance during downtown, Over-the-Rhine, and stadium-district patrols, and the city pairs enforcement with referrals to Shelterhouse and other social services.
Threatening, blocking, or repeatedly following someone after a refusal, or panhandling near restricted locations, can result in misdemeanor charges and fines.
Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati's loud-party ordinance, CMC §910-9, lets police cite hosts and property owners after a single nuisance party complaint, with enhanced enforcement ...
Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati requires door-to-door solicitors and peddlers to obtain a license from the city. Applicants must submit to a background check and receive a licens...
See how Cincinnati's aggressive panhandling rules stack up against other locations.
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