Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-313 (2026)
Aggressive panhandling
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) A person commits aggressive panhandling who solicits a donation of money or goods in the following manner:
- (1) By intentionally touching the person being solicited without the person's consent;
- (2) By intentionally obstructing the path of the person, or of the vehicle of the person, being solicited;
- (3) By following a person who is walking away from the person soliciting the donation, unless that person has indicated that the person wishes to make a donation; or
- (4) By making any statement, gesture, or other communication that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear of personal harm for refusing a solicitation of a donation.
- (b)
- (1) A first violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
- (2) A second or subsequent violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by fine or a term of imprisonment not to exceed ninety (90) days, or both.
Added by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 137,s 1, eff. 7/1/2015.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases, 1994–2013 · leading case: Washington v. Robertson Cnty., 29 S.W.3d 466 (Tenn. 2000).
Washington v. Robertson Cnty., 29 S.W.3d 466 (Tenn. 2000). “At that time, Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-17-313 established the offense of “intimidation” as follows: Intimidation.”
Young v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 868 F. Supp. 937 (W.D. Tenn. 1994). “§ 4-21-701: (a) In addition to the criminal penalty provided, in § 39-17-313 [repealed], there is hereby created a civil cause of action for malicious harassment.”
Kim Brown v. Christian Bros. Univ., 428 S.W.3d 38 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2013). “§ 4-21-701 indicates that the supporters of the legislation favored creation of a civil remedy for so-called “hate crimes” committed by ethnic and racial supremecist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nation and Skinheads.”
Bowman v. City of Memphis, 329 S.W.3d 766 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010). “in addition to, but separate from, the applicable criminal statutes set forth first in Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-17-313 and then in Tenn.”
Fromuth v. Metro. Gov't of Nashville, 158 F. Supp. 2d 787 (M.D. Tenn. 2001). “§§ 4-21-701(a) began with the phrase, “In addition to the criminal penalty provided in §§ 39-17-313 ...” 1990 Tenn.Public Acts ch.”
Johnson v. South Cent. Human Resource Agency, 926 S.W.2d 951 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996). “—(a) In addition to the criminal penalty provided in § 39-17-313 [repealed], there is hereby created a civil cause of action for malicious harassment.”
Lori Ann Parr v. Miiddle Tennessee State Univ. & Treyton Williams (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “When first enacted in 1990, section 4-21-701 referenced Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-313 [repealed], 11which provided for a criminal cause of action for malicious harassment.”
Afsoon Vafaie (formerly) Jane Doe v. Walter R. Owens, III & wife, Cheryl Roberts Owens (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996). “T.C.A. § 39-17-313 was replaced by § 39-17-309, which went into effect on April 12, 1990.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-313(a) — 2 cases
Washington v. Robertson Cnty., 29 S.W.3d 466 (Tenn. 2000). “At that time, Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-17-313 established the offense of “intimidation” as follows: Intimidation.”
Fromuth v. Metro. Gov't of Nashville, 158 F. Supp. 2d 787 (M.D. Tenn. 2001). “§§ 4-21-701(a) began with the phrase, “In addition to the criminal penalty provided in §§ 39-17-313 ...” 1990 Tenn.Public Acts ch.”
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