Raleigh, NC Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 13-2031(c)
- Curfew
- No begging between sunset and 8pm–8am window
- ATM/bank buffer
- 100 feet
- Bus stop/business buffer
- 20 feet
- Approach distance limit
- Within 3 feet without consent: banned
- Group limit
- 3 or more panhandlers together: banned
- Max penalty
- $500 fine and/or 30 days jail
Summary
Raleigh bans begging or panhandling outright between sunset and sunrise (never before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.), near school zones during arrival/dismissal, and within set distances of bus stops, ATMs, banks, businesses, outdoor dining, and homes. It also bans specific manners of soliciting: approaching within three feet, following a refusal, or panhandling in groups of three or more.
(c)Where and when prohibited. All begging and panhandling is prohibited at the following locations and times: a.No person shall beg or panhandle between the hours of sunset and sunrise, but in no event earlier than 8:00 a.m. or later than 8:00 p.m. No person shall beg or panhandle in a school zone while students are beginning or ending the school day.b.No person shall beg or panhandle in the following areas:(1)Within twenty (20) feet of any bus stop, train station or taxi zone.(2)Within one hundred (100) feet of any automated teller machine or any other machine at which money is dispensed to the public.(3)Within one hundred (100) feet of the entrance to any financial institution which is open for business.(4)Within twenty (20) feet of any commercial establishment which is open for business. ... c.No person shall beg or panhandle in the following manner:(2)By coming within three (3) feet of the person being approached unless that person has clearly indicated a desire to make a donation.(6)By approaching an individual or individuals for the purpose of begging or panhandling in a group of three (3) or more.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 13-2031(c) of the Code of Ordinances lays out where and when begging and panhandling are prohibited citywide. , and never in a school zone while students are arriving or leaving. Location bans include within 20 feet of a bus stop, train station, or taxi zone; within 100 feet of any ATM or cash-dispensing machine; within 100 feet of an open financial institution's entrance; within 20 feet of an open commercial establishment; within 20 feet of a permitted outdoor dining area during operating hours; and within 20 feet of the entrance to any residence.
Manner restrictions in the same subsection separately bar begging while impaired by alcohol or drugs, approaching within three feet of a person who hasn't indicated a willingness to donate, blocking a sidewalk or street, following someone after a refusal, using profane or abusive language, panhandling in a group of three or more, using threatening gestures or statements, lying about the need for the donation or a disability, approaching vehicles in traffic, or sitting, lying, or standing in a roadway, median, or median strip in a way that risks injury.
Subsection (a)(1) separately defines 'aggressively beg or panhandle' as begging that intimidates another person into giving money or goods, and subsection (b) makes aggressive begging in a public place a pedestrian interference offense. Violations carry the same misdemeanor penalty as the rest of Sec. 13-2031, a fine up to $500 and up to 30 days' imprisonment under subsection (d).
Violations & Fines
Begging or panhandling during prohibited hours, inside any of the listed buffer zones (bus stops, ATMs, banks, businesses, outdoor dining, residences), or in a prohibited manner (approaching within three feet, following after refusal, group solicitation of three or more, threats, or blocking a roadway) violates Sec. 13-2031(c). It is a misdemeanor under subsection (d), punishable by a fine up to $500 and imprisonment up to 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Raleigh
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