Pinellas County, FL Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban
- Solicit vehicle occupants on roads
- Buffer
- 4 feet from arterial/collector edges
- Scope
- All public roads countywide
- Covers
- Charitable and business solicitation
Summary
Pinellas County bars anyone from approaching vehicles on public roads to solicit money or distribute literature, and bans standing within four feet of arterial or collector road edges for that purpose.
No person shall be upon or go upon any road for the purpose of solicitation to or from the occupant of any operating motorized vehicle located within the county.(2)No person shall be upon or go upon any road for the purpose of distributing literature to or from the occupant of any operating motorized vehicle located within the county.(3)No person shall be within four feet of the edge of arterial roads or collector roads for the purpose of solicitation or distribution of literature to or from the occupant of any operating motorized vehicle located within the county.(d)Territory embraced. All public state, county and municipal roads within the legal boundaries of the county shall be embraced by the provisions of this section.(e)Periodic review. The county shall periodically review all roads for designation and may make additions or deletions to those designations based on changes in traffic volume, rights-of-way, designs, accident rates, or other appropriate criteria.(f)Notice. The county periodic review and designation of roadways are public records and shall be made available to the public upon request pursuant to 1997 F.S. § 119.07(1)(a).(g)Penalty. Violations of this section are punishable as provided in section 1-8. (Ord. No. 90-74, §§ 1—6, 9-11-90; Ord. No. 99-30, § 1, 3-23-99)
Cross reference— Businesses, ch. 26; roadside markets, § 26-151 et seq.; peddlers and solicitors, § 42-201 et seq.; charitable solicitations, § 42-266 et seq.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Pinellas County Code § 98-1 bans going onto any public road, state, county, or municipal, to solicit money or distribute literature to occupants of a moving vehicle, and separately bars standing within four feet of the edge of an arterial or collector road for the same purpose. "Solicitation" covers both charitable and business appeals. The rule applies countywide, including incorporated cities, under § 98-1(d)'s "territory embraced" clause, and violations are punishable under § 1-8.
Violations & Fines
Approaching vehicle occupants on a public road to solicit money or literature, or standing within four feet of an arterial or collector road edge to do so, violates § 98-1 and is punishable under § 1-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can panhandlers approach cars stopped at a Pinellas County intersection?
Does the roadway solicitation ban apply inside Pinellas County's cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida public conduct overview
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