Conway, AR Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Conway Municipal Code Chapter 8.36, adopted by Ordinance No. O-77-03, makes it unlawful for any organization, group or individual to solicit funds for any purpose in or alongside the intersection of any street in Conway, Arkansas, or alongside or in any street in the city. The rule does not exempt charities, students or civic clubs; the prohibition covers solicitation "for any purpose whatsoever." A first violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $50.00. The ordinance treats repeat contact severely: if an individual, group or organization returns to any such intersection or street to solicit funds after having already been arrested for violating the chapter, that return is deemed a second violation, and every subsequent occurrence is charged as a separate offense.

Enforcement falls to the Conway Police Department, which cites violators under Chapter 8.36 rather than under a broader panhandling or loitering statute. Because the chapter's title references "road blocks for charities," the practical target is anyone standing in traffic lanes, medians or intersections to collect money from motorists, whether for a nonprofit fundraiser, a school group's boot drive, or an individual panhandler working a signal light. The code does not carve out a permit process to authorize such solicitation at an intersection, so there is no lawful way to conduct roadway fundraising within city limits even with advance notice to the city.