Montebello, CA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 12.30.030 of the Montebello Municipal Code makes it unlawful to engage in aggressive panhandling, as defined in Section 12.30.020, on any public street or sidewalk or any other public place, publicly or privately owned. Section 12.30.020 defines aggressive panhandling to include approaching, following or non-verbally communicating with someone in a way likely to cause fear of bodily harm or property loss, or to intimidate them into giving money; touching a person or occupied vehicle without consent while soliciting; blocking a pedestrian's or vehicle's safe passage; using violent or threatening gestures; persisting after being told no; or using profane or abusive language likely to provoke a violent reaction.

Beyond aggressive conduct, Section 12.30.040 bans all panhandling, regardless of manner, within 40 feet of a bank, savings and loan, credit union, check-cashing business or ATM during business hours; on a council-designated median toward vehicle occupants; in any parking lot after dark, defined as from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, without the property owner's authorization; within 20 feet of a bus or transit stop, an outdoor dining area, or a queue of two or more waiting for entry or purchase; and within 20 feet of a driveway when directed at vehicle occupants.

An exemption lets ATMs inside supermarkets, clothing stores or schools operate free of the 40-foot rule during that business's own hours. The council adopted the chapter by Ordinance No. 2425 on August 26, 2020, finding aggressive and location-based panhandling a threat to public safety, traffic and the city's economic vitality. Section 12.30.050 makes any violation punishable under Chapter 1.12, the code's general penalty chapter, and Section 12.30.060 preserves enforcement of any other applicable law.