Southborough, MA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 195-7 of the Select Board's pedestrian regulations reads that no person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride, employment or business from the operator or occupant of any vehicle without the written permission of the board or officer having control of such roadway or highway. The rule is about the location, a person standing in the roadway, and about who is solicited, the operator or occupant of a vehicle. It does not set a distance from crosswalks, a time of day, or a definition of aggressive behavior, and it does not mention donations.

The regulations were adopted by the Board of Selectmen (now Select Board) on 3-12-1974. Section 195-8 directs all officers of the Town of Southborough to enforce them. Section 195-9 exempts pedestrians actually engaged in work upon a roadway closed to travel or under construction or repair, municipal, state, federal or public service corporation employees performing their duties, officers performing public duties, and pedestrians acting in an emergency.

Other chapters reach conduct that is sometimes associated with aggressive solicitation. Section 117-1 provides that no person shall loiter or continue to stand on any sidewalk or public place so as to obstruct the passage of or to impede or in any manner annoy other persons, and that no person in a street or way shall stand or loiter after being directed by a police officer to move on. Section 131-1 prohibits indecent and disorderly conduct and insulting language in any public way or place, and wanton or willful acts near a dwelling with intent to annoy or disturb any inhabitant.

For door-to-door solicitation, § 133-1 bars soliciting on the private property of another between 1/2 hour after sunset and 7:00 a.m. Section 133-2 asks solicitors working between 7:00 a.m. and 1/2 hour after sunset to register with the Police Department the names of individual solicitors and the make, model, color and registration number of the vehicles used.