Spring Hill, TN Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 9-305 sits in Title 9, Chapter 3, and defines panhandling as any vocal solicitation, bodily gestures or written signs made in person upon any street, public place or park in the city, in which a person requests an immediate donation of money or other gratuity from another person. Despite the title, the time and place bans in subsections (B) and (C) reach all panhandling, not only the aggressive kind. Subsection (B) bars it on any day between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

Subsection (C) bars it when either the panhandler or the person solicited is at a bus stop, in a public transportation vehicle or facility, in a vehicle parked or stopped on a public street or alley, in a sidewalk café, or within 100 feet in any direction from an automatic teller machine or entrance to a bank. Any panhandling or other solicitation that might impede the normal flow of traffic is also covered. Subsection (D) then lists aggressive conduct: touching the solicited person without consent, soliciting a person standing in line to be admitted to a commercial establishment, blocking the path of the person or the entrance to any building or vehicle, following behind, ahead or alongside a person who walks away, using profane or abusive language or any statement or gesture that would cause a reasonable person to be intimidated or placed in fear, panhandling in a group of two or more persons, and panhandling within 25 feet of the entrance or exit of any building open to the public, including commercial buildings.

The section carries the history of Ord. 13-12, passed 5-20-2013, and Ord. 13-29, passed 11-18-2013. Fundraising for a charitable or religious purpose is separately governed by the City Recorder permit in § 9-301.