RALEIGH -- Anyone begging for money in Wake County must first present a photo ID and obtain a permit, a document that would also require listing an address, age, height and weight.
The new regulations, passed 6-1 Monday by the Wake County Board of Commissioners, apply to all panhandlers in the unincorporated parts of the county, mirroring rules already on the books in cities such as Raleigh and Garner.
The idea behind the rules is protecting both motorists and beggars seeking money on public roads, said board Chairman Paul Coble.
"We don't need people out in busy intersections," he said, adding: "There certainly is an alternative."
Commissioner James West, who cast the lone "no" vote, said restrictions on begging sends a bad message in a hard economy.
"I don't want to criminalize being poor in desperate times," he said.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Phyllis Stephens said the county's heaviest intersections for panhandlers are along U.S. 401 at the intersections with Old Stage and Ten-Ten roads. Citizens have complained about aggressive and intimidating begging, which the new ordinance would prohibit.
Raleigh and Garner both require written permission from the chief of police before begging in public areas, and County Attorney Scott Warren said Wake's rules generally follow those guidelines.
Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said the city has issued 372 charges so far this year for begging without a permit.
The new law
Under the county's rules, however, a permit comes through the county Department of Environmental Services. Permits can be renewed each year and are free.
They can be revoked if any rules are broken, such as aggressively begging or loitering in the right-of-way of a public street. As part of the application, panhandlers would have to list at least a temporary address and a basic physical description.
West objected to this idea, saying he hasn't heard any large public outcry, and that people who are simply seeking charity in tough times would be lumped in with beggars who intimidate. He added those who are desperate enough to panhandle might not be resourceful enough to seek a permit.
Warren assured Commissioner Betty Lou Ward that the rules won't target high school kids advertising car washes on the sidewalk, but Coble stressed that commissioners don't want them out in busy intersections, either.
The ordinance passed by commissioners says rules do not apply to lawful solicitation for charitable purposes, the promotion of political, social or religious views or distribution of newspapers on the non-traveled portion of a street.
Permits will not be issued to applicants younger than 18.
