Santa Ana, CA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 10-700 states the article's purpose: protecting public safety and economic vitality by placing reasonable time, place, and manner limits on aggressive or intrusive solicitation while preserving free-speech rights. Section 10-701 defines 'aggressive' conduct as intimidating a person into giving money, unwanted physical contact, closely following someone after they've declined, or violent gestures; 'intrusive' conduct covers thrusting oneself close to another, physical contact, blocking a person's path, or threatening behavior. Section 10-702 sets the operative bans: no aggressive or intrusive solicitation in any public place; no solicitation inside an ATM facility without the owner's permission, or within 30 feet of a financial institution during business hours or an ATM while in service; no soliciting a motorist within 30 feet of a shopping-center or business driveway; no soliciting inside a public transportation vehicle or within 30 feet of a designated transit stop; no soliciting a motorist at a gas or EV charging pump; and no soliciting inside a restaurant's outdoor dining area.

Subsection (b)(4) exempts unenclosed ATMs inside buildings with a non-banking primary purpose, such as supermarkets or airports, during their regular operating hours, and subsection (g) exempts solicitation authorized by the property or business owner. Section 10-703 sets enforcement: a violation may be charged as an infraction or misdemeanor at the discretion of the citing officer, the City may pursue civil actions and administrative penalties under Section 1-8, and all remedies are cumulative. The article was adopted by Ordinance No. NS-2945 on May 15, 2018.