Minneapolis restricts aggressive solicitation, including blocking pedestrians, following someone after refusal, and panhandling near ATMs or after dark, while preserving passive panhandling as protected speech.
Title 385 of the Minneapolis Code (now codified within Title 11) restricts aggressive solicitation. Prohibited conduct includes touching the person solicited without consent, blocking their path, using threatening language, following after a refusal, soliciting at bus stops, ATMs, and outdoor cafes, and any solicitation after sunset. Passive panhandling such as holding a sign is constitutionally protected and not banned. The ordinance was narrowed in response to First Amendment case law, focusing on conduct rather than message. Officers often pair enforcement with social-service outreach through downtown improvement districts.
Aggressive solicitation is a misdemeanor under Minneapolis ordinance, with potential fines and short jail terms. Repeat citations can result in trespass notices for downtown and transit-corridor businesses.
See how Minneapolis's aggressive panhandling rules stack up against other locations.
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