(a) No person shall stand, sit or loiter in or on any street, highway, roadway or median strip to solicit the occupant of any vehicle; to distribute merchandise to the occupant of any vehicle; or to stop or attempt to stop any vehicle for these purposes, except as outlined below.
(b) A person may stand, sit, or loiter in or on any street or highway, including the shoulders or median strip, to solicit or accept contributions of any type from the occupants of a stopped vehicle or distribute merchandise to the occupants of any stopped vehicle if the person has a permit issued pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-175(e), and if the person is not otherwise violating the law. The issuance of such permits is hereby authorized pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-175(e).
(c) A person may also stand, sit, or loiter on sidewalks to solicit contributions or accept contributions of any type from the occupants of a stopped vehicle or distribute merchandise to the occupants of any stopped vehicle if the person is not otherwise violating the law, including City Code section 11-5.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit engaging in the distribution of newspapers on the non-traveled portion of any street or highway except when those distribution activities impede the normal movement of traffic on the street or highway.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit additional restrictions or prohibitions on the activities of licensees, employees, or contractors of the Department of Transportation or of any municipality engaged in construction or maintenance or in making traffic or engineering surveys except as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-175(e).
(f) If any person is found to have violated any provision of this ordinance, such person or persons shall be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $500.00. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense.
(Ord. No. 2905, § 1, 3-12-02; Ord. No. 4910, § 2, 11-9-21; Ord. No. 5034, § 1, 9-12-23)