South Bend, IN Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 13-25 defines 'aggressive manner' broadly: approaching, following, or speaking to someone in a way likely to cause fear of bodily harm or property loss; continuing to solicit after a negative response; touching a person or occupied vehicle without consent while soliciting; blocking or interfering with safe passage of pedestrians or vehicles; using violent or threatening gestures; persisting after being told the person doesn't want to be solicited; using profane, offensive, or unreasonably loud language likely to provoke a violent reaction; and soliciting anyone waiting in a line.

Section 13-26(b) prohibits aggressive-manner solicitation in any public place citywide, within 20 feet of any automated teller machine, within 20 feet of any pay telephone, and from the operator or occupant of a motor vehicle. Separately, Section 13-26(a) bars all solicitation, aggressive or not, inside the Central Business and Entertainment Area mapped in Ordinance No. 9289-01, unless the solicitor is a licensee under the City's charitable solicitation, busker, food-vending-vehicle, peddler, or transient-merchant licensing sections and follows those rules. , IC 36-1-4-11, IC 36-4-6-12) to protect public safety while, per Section 13-24(e), remaining content-neutral and narrowly tailored so lawful speech channels stay open.