Hackensack, NJ Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

City Code § 114-2B(19), part of the Chapter 114 nuisance ordinance adopted October 20, 1997 by Ordinance 22-97, lists use of public streets, alleys, sidewalks or entrance areas to stores or other public buildings for the purpose of begging as one of the enumerated nuisances declared unlawful throughout Hackensack. The same clause reaches unlicensed peddling: selling or otherwise disposing of medicines, salves, lotions, jewelry or other articles of trade or commerce, whether on foot or from a stand or vehicle, including any device used to attract a crowd.

The prohibition is not limited to aggressive conduct such as following, blocking or touching a pedestrian; the code bans the underlying activity of begging or unlicensed street selling outright unless the person holds a permit or license issued under some other chapter of the Code, such as Chapter 107, Licenses and Permits. Because § 114-2A states the enumerated list is not exclusive, the city can also treat comparable public solicitation as a nuisance under its general clause even if it does not track one of the 26 listed examples word for word.