Novi, MI Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 22-7
- Bank/ATM buffer
- 20 feet
- Aggressive acts covered
- touching, blocking, repeated asks, following
- Default classification
- misdemeanor (§ 1-11(b))
- Maximum penalty
- 90 days jail and/or $500 fine
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 14-23.30, February 3, 2014
Summary
In the City of Novi, Code § 22-7 bars begging within twenty feet of a bank or ATM, soliciting cafe patrons without the operator's permission, and any 'aggressive begging' involving touching, blocking a path, repeated requests after refusal, following a person who has walked away, or abusive language meant to intimidate. The ordinance expressly preserves constitutionally protected solicitation.
(a)Except as otherwise provided in this code of ordinances, or as otherwise authorized by law, no person shall beg or solicit for the immediate payment of money or goods from another person under any of the following circumstances:(1)Within twenty (20) feet of a bank or automated teller (ATM) machine.(2)By soliciting a patron at a sidewalk café without first having obtained the permission of the operator of the café. ... (4)In a manner that would constitute aggressive begging, which shall mean the following:a.Touching the solicited person without that person's consent.b.Blocking the path of the person being solicited, or the entrance to any building or vehicle.c.Engaging in repeated requests after a refusal by the person being solicited.d.Following behind, alongside or ahead of a person who walks away from the solicitor after having been solicited.e.Using abusive language, either during the solicitation or following the refusal to donate, and making any statement, gesture, or other communication that would cause a reasonable person to be fearful or feel compelled to make a donation.
Full Breakdown
Section 22-7, added to Article I of Chapter 22 by Ordinance No. 14-23.30 on February 3, 2014 (building on the original 1978 Ordinance No. 78-23.02), regulates begging and solicitation for immediate payment of money or goods. Subsection (a) lists specific circumstances that are unlawful: begging within twenty feet of a bank or automated teller machine; soliciting a patron at a sidewalk cafe without first getting the cafe operator's permission; making a knowingly false or misleading representation during a solicitation; and any of five defined forms of 'aggressive begging', touching the solicited person without consent, blocking that person's path or the entrance to a building or vehicle, repeating requests after a refusal, following behind, alongside or ahead of someone who has walked away after being solicited, or using abusive language or a gesture that would make a reasonable person fearful or feel compelled to donate.
Subsection (b) states the city's intent: protecting people from threatening or intimidating behavior, keeping public places safe, preserving the free flow of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and expressly declining to limit anyone's constitutional right to solicit funds or engage in other protected activity. Because the section does not designate the violation a civil infraction, Section 1-11(b) makes it a misdemeanor, carrying under Section 1-11(c)(1)a up to ninety days in jail and/or a $500 fine, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately.
Violations & Fines
A person cited for aggressive begging or for soliciting within twenty feet of a bank or ATM under Section 22-7 faces a misdemeanor by default under Section 1-11(b), since the section sets no civil-infraction penalty of its own. Section 1-11(c)(1)a caps the sentence at ninety days in jail and/or a $500 fine, and Section 1-11(c)(1)b makes each day of ongoing conduct a separate offense. Enforcement is handled by the Novi Police Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal panhandling in Novi?
Does Novi's panhandling ordinance ban all street solicitation?
What is the penalty for aggressive panhandling in Novi?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Novi
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