City of Covington, WA (Official)

The City Council passed an ordinance at its December 9, 2008 meeting to prohibit aggressive begging and begging within a school zone.

This ordinance gives residents and businesses the option to call 911 when they feel threatened by panhandlers or see panhandlers near schools. While many would have liked the City to prohibit panhandling completely, courts have ruled that most forms of panhandling are protected by the First Amendment.

The ordinance went into effect December 17, 2009 and states: Section 9.110.080 of the City Code now prohibits aggressive begging in any public place in the City of Covington and also prohibits begging within a public right of way or park within 300 feet of a school when children are present.... See More

“Begging”, as defined in the ordinance, includes asking for money or goods as a charity, whether by words, bodily gestures, signs or other means.

“Aggressive begging” includes the following:
Begging with intent to intimidate another person into giving money or goods; Begging with the use of false or misleading information; Begging with or to involve activities that are unsafe or dangerous to any person or property; Begging at locations or in a manner that threatens the safety of persons or property or that impedes or threatens to impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic; Begging in a manner that exploits children; or To willfully provide or deliver or attempt to provide or deliver unrequested or unsolicited services or products with a demand or exertion of pressure for payment in return.