Manchester restricts aggressive panhandling — touching, threats, or blocking — under public-order rules in Ch. 200 and NH RSA 644 disorderly conduct. Passive solicitation is constitutionally protected speech.
Manchester Code Ch. 200 (Misdemeanors) addresses aggressive solicitation: physical contact, intimidation, blocking pedestrian or vehicle paths, or following someone after refusal. Passive panhandling — silently holding a sign or asking once — is protected First Amendment speech under Reed v. Town of Gilbert and NH appellate precedent, so Manchester cannot impose blanket bans. Manchester has been cautious after federal courts struck down similar ordinances elsewhere. NH RSA 644:2 disorderly conduct applies to threats and obstruction. Enforcement focuses on specific aggressive behaviors, not status.
Touching a person while soliciting, blocking traffic at intersections, threatening behavior, or repeated solicitation after refusal violate disorderly-conduct rules.
See how Manchester's aggressive panhandling rules stack up against other locations.
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