Decatur, GA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- ATM/bank buffer
- 20 feet from ATM or bank entrance
- Outdoor dining buffer
- 20 feet from outdoor dining area
- Building entrance buffer
- 6 feet from an entrance
- Group solicitation
- barred in groups of two or more
- After dark
- 30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 70-30
Summary
Decatur, Georgia's aggressive panhandling ordinance bans coercive solicitation tactics like blocking, following or touching a target, and separately bars all solicitation within 20 feet of an ATM or bank entrance, within 20 feet of outdoor dining, in groups of two or more, and in any public place after dark, under Code § 70-30.
(a)Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: After dark means any time from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. ... (b)Prohibited acts. It shall be unlawful for any person within the corporate limits of the city to violate any of the following subsections of this section:(1)No person shall engage in aggressive panhandling in any public place. ... (3)No person shall solicit within 20 feet of any automated teller machine or an entrance or exit of any bank or financial institution. ... (9)No person shall solicit in any public place after dark.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Section 70-30, adopted by Ordinance O-08-09 in 2008, splits into a definitions clause and two operative parts. Subsection (a) defines "aggressive panhandling" as any of eight specific behaviors during a solicitation: approaching, speaking to or following someone in a way that would make a reasonable person fear bodily harm or property loss; soliciting someone waiting in line; soliciting someone eating or seated at an outdoor table; continuing to solicit after a negative response; intentionally touching the person without consent; blocking or interfering with pedestrian or vehicle passage; using violent or threatening gestures; or speaking at an unreasonably loud volume or using profane or abusive language.
Subsection (b) then lists nine flat prohibited acts that apply beyond the "aggressive" behaviors: no aggressive panhandling in any public place; no soliciting on private property after the owner has told the person not to; no soliciting within 20 feet of an ATM or a bank entrance/exit; no soliciting a vehicle's driver or passenger; no soliciting while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; no soliciting in a group of two or more; no soliciting within six feet of a building entrance; no soliciting within 20 feet of an outdoor dining area; and no soliciting in any public place after dark, defined as 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of section 70-30's prohibited acts is punished under the chapter's general penalty, Code § 1-12, per subsection (c), through Decatur Municipal Court. Because the section separately criminalizes both the "aggressive" behaviors in (a) and the flat locational and time-of-day restrictions in (b), an officer can cite a person for the location-based violations, such as soliciting after dark, without needing to show any threatening conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all panhandling illegal in Decatur, Georgia?
What counts as "aggressive" under the ordinance?
Can someone solicit money from drivers stopped at a red light?
Does the ban apply on a restaurant patio?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
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