Pomona, CA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Aggressive panhandling
- Unlawful citywide (Sec. 30-608)
- Violation class
- Infraction (Sec. 30-602)
- Buffer zones
- 25 ft from ATMs, banks, bus stops, churches (Sec. 30-607)
- Vehicle panhandling
- Banned in public right-of-way (Sec. 30-605)
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 4034, effective 8-1-2005
Summary
Pomona bans aggressive panhandling citywide: approaching, touching, blocking a path, or persisting after being told no all count under Sec. 30-608, and a related web of sections bars begging outright within 25 feet of ATMs, banks, bus stops, and houses of worship. Violating the panhandling article is an infraction under Sec. 30-602.
(a)No panhandler or licensed solicitor shall solicit, ask or beg in an aggressive manner within the City of Pomona.(b)Aggressive manner shall mean any of the following:(1)Approaching or speaking to a person, or following a person before, during or after soliciting, asking or begging, if that conduct is intended or is likely to cause a reasonable person to (i) fear bodily harm to oneself or to another, damage to or loss of property, or (ii) otherwise be intimidated into giving money or other thing of value;(2)Intentionally touching or causing physical contact with another person without that person's consent in the course of soliciting, asking or begging;(3)Intentionally blocking or interfering with the safe or free passage of a pedestrian or vehicle by any means, including unreasonably causing a pedestrian or vehicle operator to take evasive action to avoid physical contact; ... (5)Persisting in closely following or approaching a person, after the person solicited has been solicited and informed the solicitor by words or conduct that such person does not want to be solicited or does not want to give money or any other thing of value to the solicitor;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 30-608 makes it unlawful for any panhandler or licensed solicitor to solicit, ask or beg in an aggressive manner anywhere in Pomona, and defines aggressive manner through six specific behaviors: approaching or following someone in a way likely to cause fear of bodily harm or property loss, or to intimidate them into giving money; intentionally touching a person without consent while soliciting; blocking or interfering with a pedestrian's or vehicle's safe passage; using violent or threatening gestures; persisting in following someone after being told the person does not want to be solicited; and using profane or abusive language likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
The ordinance sits inside a broader panhandling scheme adopted under Ord. No. 4034 (8-1-2005): Sec. 30-605 separately bans panhandling from or toward anyone in a vehicle in the public right-of-way, and Sec. 30-607 bars panhandling within 25 feet of any bus stop, a bank or financial institution entrance during business hours, an ATM or cash-dispensing machine, or a house-of-worship entrance during operating hours, plus anywhere inside the walkways and building perimeters of the Civic Plaza. Sec. 30-606 additionally lets a commercial parking area's owner post a notice restricting panhandling to owner-approved areas, once that policy is filed with the city planner and posted at each entrance.
None of these bans apply to licensed solicitors operating strictly within the terms of their Chapter 30 solicitor's license, which is a separate permit track from panhandling under Division 2 of the same article.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 30-602 makes any violation of the panhandling and solicitor article, including aggressive panhandling under Sec. 30-608, an infraction, Pomona's lowest criminal classification, typically resolved with a citation and fine rather than jail time; police may cite an individual on the spot for conduct meeting any of the six aggressive-manner criteria listed in Sec. 30-608(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as aggressive panhandling in Pomona?
Is regular, non-aggressive panhandling legal in Pomona?
What is the penalty for aggressive panhandling in Pomona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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