Fountain, CO Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

100 defines 'soliciting or panhandling' broadly as any spoken, gestured, written, or other request for money or a thing of value, including asking for a 'donation' in exchange for an item of little worth. 'Aggressive solicitation' is then defined by six specific acts: intentionally touching a person without consent while soliciting, blocking or interfering with a pedestrian's or vehicle's safe passage, standing or walking in close proximity to traffic including crosswalks, medians, and shoulders while soliciting, using violent or threatening conduct, using profane or abusive language likely to provoke a violent reaction or fear, and approaching or following a person with words or gestures likely to make a reasonable person fear imminent harm or property loss.

The ordinance applies to any 'public place,' defined to include streets, sidewalks, parking lots, transportation facilities, schools, parks, and playgrounds, and it separately bans aggressive solicitation on private or residential property once the owner has asked the person to leave or a 'No Soliciting' sign is posted. The stated purpose is narrow: the city says it does not intend to prohibit lawful solicitation, only behavior that is dangerous, intimidating, threatening, coercive, harassing, or obscene. 00 and up to a year in jail.