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

02 defines 'aggressive solicitation' to include touching a person or their vehicle without consent, continuing to solicit within 10 feet after a negative response, blocking a person's safe passage or forcing evasive action, using obscene or threatening language or gestures likely to cause fear of imminent bodily harm, or approaching, speaking to, or following a person in a way likely to intimidate them into paying. 03(a) makes any aggressive solicitation on a street, sidewalk or other public place, public or privately owned, unlawful and a public nuisance.

03(b) separately bans solicitation, aggressive or not, within 25 feet of an unenclosed ATM, within 25 feet of a bank, credit union, check-cashing business, or ATM facility entrance after dark, in a parking garage or lot without the owner's consent, in public transportation vehicles or facilities, within 25 feet of a bus stop after dark, in any public restroom, when approaching a vehicle occupant on a public street or in a parking facility, and in any non-public place without the owner's or occupant's written consent produced on request.

04 exempts demands for payment of services rendered or goods delivered and protects free speech. The chapter, cited as the 'Santa Maria Aggressive Solicitation Ordinance,' took effect July 17, 2014 under Ordinance 2014-03.