Seattle, WA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

The pedestrian interference statute defines "beg" as asking for money or goods as charity by words, gestures, signs, or other means, and "intimidate" as engaging in conduct that would make a reasonable person fearful or feel compelled to comply. "Aggressively beg" combines the two: begging done with the intent to intimidate someone into giving money or goods. A person violates the section if, in a public place, they intentionally aggressively beg, the same section separately criminalizes obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic, but that is a distinct clause covering blocking sidewalks or streets, not the request for money itself.

"Public place" is defined to include alleys, bridges, driveways, parking lots, parks, plazas, sidewalks, and streets open to the public, plus the doorways and entrances of buildings and their grounds. Because intent to intimidate is an element, courts and SPD look at whether the requester's conduct, tone, proximity, repetition, blocking a path, would make an ordinary person feel threatened or trapped, not merely uncomfortable. A single polite request for spare change, without more, does not meet the standard.