Wyoming, MI Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Wyoming Code of Ordinances § 50-170
- First offense
- $50.00 civil infraction
- Second offense
- $150.00 civil infraction
- Third+ offense
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days/$500
- Buffer zone
- 15 feet of ATMs, phones, transit stops
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 1-25, Jan. 21, 2025
Summary
In Wyoming, Michigan (Kent County), Code § 50-170 makes it a civil infraction to accost, solicit or force oneself upon another person, and separately bans solicitation within 15 feet of ATMs, pay phones, transit stops, and building entrances, or from vehicle occupants on public streets. Fines start at $50 and escalate to misdemeanor charges.
Accosting means approaching or speaking to a person in such a manner as would cause a reasonable person to fear imminent bodily harm or the commission of a criminal act upon themself, or upon property in their immediate possession. Solicit means and includes, without limitation, the spoken, written or printed word or such other acts as are conducted in furtherance of the purpose of obtaining donations, selling or purchasing any item, or exchanging any item. It shall be unlawful for any person to accost, solicit or force oneself upon the company of another: ...Within 15 feet of the entrance to or exit from any public toilet facility; Within 15 feet of an automated teller machine... Violation of this section is a municipal civil infraction. An initial violation shall result in a municipal civil infraction with a fine of $50.00. A second offense shall result in a municipal civil infraction with a fine of $150.00. Third and subsequent offenses within a year shall be misdemeanors subject to a maximum penalty or 90 days in jail, up to and including a $500.00 fine.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Wyoming's accosting and soliciting ordinance, Sec. 50-170 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Wyoming, Michigan, defines "accosting" as approaching or speaking to a person in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to fear imminent bodily harm, and "forcing oneself upon the company of another" as continuing to solicit after a negative response or blocking someone's path. Solicitation is separately barred outright in nine locations: on private property after the owner objects or posts a no-soliciting sign; within 15 feet of a public restroom, ATM, pay telephone, or bus/taxi/transit stop; inside any public transit vehicle; from occupants of a motor vehicle on a public street (with an exception for requested emergency repairs); from anyone waiting in line to enter a building; within 15 feet of a building entrance without the owner's consent; and within any public right-of-way, including by reaching an appendage into it.
676b, the state law governing roadside solicitation. The provision was retitled from "begging and soliciting" to "accosting and soliciting" by Ordinance No. 1-25, adopted January 21, 2025, and last substantively amended by Ordinance No. 1-14 in 2014.
Violations & Fines
A first violation is a municipal civil infraction carrying a $50.00 fine; a second offense within the same period raises the civil infraction fine to $150.00. A third or subsequent offense within a year becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.00. Courts may also order compliance measures or conduct restrictions to prevent repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as "accosting" under Wyoming's ordinance?
Can I be fined for asking for money near a bank ATM in Wyoming, MI?
What happens on a third panhandling violation in Wyoming?
Does the ordinance apply on private property in Wyoming, MI?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wyoming
Compare Wyoming to another location·View the Michigan public conduct overview
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