Stockton, CA Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Bank/ATM buffer
- 15 feet during business hours
- Intersection buffer
- 100 feet of signal-controlled intersection
- Parking lot rule
- No solicitation after dark
- Transit buffer
- 10 feet of stop, or on vehicle
- Offense class
- Misdemeanor
Summary
Stockton's Aggressive Solicitation Ordinance, Chapter 9.36, bans begging or soliciting money in a way that intimidates, blocks, or physically touches someone, and flatly bans all solicitation within 15 feet of banks and ATMs, near signal-controlled intersections, in parking lots after dark, on public transit, and around restaurant dining areas. Any violation is a misdemeanor.
No person shall solicit, ask, or beg in an aggressive manner in any public place. "Aggressive manner"means any of the following: 1. Approaching or speaking to a person, or following a person before, during, or after soliciting, asking, or begging, if that conduct is intended or is likely to cause a reasonable person to: a. Fear bodily harm to oneself or to another, damage to or loss of property, or b. Otherwise be intimidated into giving money or other thing of value. 2. Intentionally touching or causing physical contact with another person or an occupied vehicle without that person's consent in the course of soliciting, asking, or begging; 3. Intentionally blocking or interfering with the safe or free passage of a pedestrian or vehicle by any means, including unreasonably causing a pedestrian or vehicle operator to take evasive action to avoid physical contact... A violation of this chapter is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
040. "Aggressive manner" covers approaching, speaking to, or following someone in a way likely to cause fear of bodily harm or property loss, or to intimidate them into giving money; intentionally touching a person or occupied vehicle without consent while soliciting; blocking or interfering with safe pedestrian or vehicle passage; using violent or threatening gestures; persisting after being told no; and using profane or abusive language likely to provoke a violent reaction. 050 goes further and bans all solicitation, aggressive or not, in five specific settings: within 15 feet of the entrance or exit of a bank, savings and loan, credit union, or check-cashing business during business hours, or within 15 feet of an ATM while available for use; from an occupant of a vehicle within 100 feet of a signal-controlled intersection, or by approaching a vehicle to solicit anywhere in public; in any public parking lot or structure after dark (half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise); in or within 10 feet of a public transportation vehicle or stop; and in or around indoor or outdoor restaurant dining areas, including entrances and lobbies. The ordinance exempts business solicitations by the premises' own owner or tenant, towing-related requests, and roadside emergency repair requests. 060.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 9.36, whether general aggressive solicitation under Section 9.36.040 or a location-specific ban under Section 9.36.050 (banks, ATMs, intersections, parking lots after dark, transit, restaurants), is a misdemeanor under Section 9.36.060, prosecutable regardless of which subsection was violated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone panhandle near a Stockton ATM?
What counts as 'aggressive' solicitation in Stockton?
Is it illegal to ask for money near a Stockton restaurant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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