Everett, WA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

" Ordinary panhandling, on its own, is not banned; the ordinance targets only begging paired with obstruction or intimidation. " The same section defines "public place" broadly to include "streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots and buildings open to the general public," along with the doorways, entrances and grounds of buildings open to the public, so the ban follows a person from a downtown sidewalk into a parking lot or building entrance. "Beg" or "begging" is defined simply as asking "for money or goods as a charity, whether by words, bodily gestures, signs, or other means," covering a spoken request, a written sign, or a gesture alike.

080," carrying the city's standard misdemeanor penalty of up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The same penalty section instructs "police officers and prosecutors, if appropriate, [to] consider diversions and other alternatives to arrest, prosecution and/or jail that address any underlying causes that led to criminal behavior," directing enforcement toward diversion rather than automatic prosecution. The chapter was originally adopted by Ord. 1353-87 in 1987 and updated by Ord. 3462-15 in 2015.