Having a Party

Possible Fines & Consequences

Fines could reach up to $1,000 for each offense. Your landlord will be notified and you could be evicted.

You could be arrested for Nuisance Party ordinance violation which has a minimum first offense fine of $500 to $2,000. Second and subsequent offenses have a minimum fine of $1,000 to $4,000.

How to Avoid Attracting Our Attention

Know everyone there. Don’t open up your party to the general public or people you don’t know. They do not always have your best interest in mind. Make sure those under 21 are not consuming intoxicants.

Keep the size of your party reasonable. You have no way of monitoring the behavior of too many guests. Most of the time it is the behavior of the guests that attracts our attentions.

Be a responsible host. A host should maintain the ability to monitor the behavior, health, and safety of the guests and be able to identify and report emergencies.

Monitor the noise level. Typically parties are called to our attention because of excessive noise. Keep music and voices at a reasonable volume. What is “reasonable” has been determined by city ordinance as 100 feet from the source between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. and 50 feet from the
source between 11 p.m and 7 a.m.

Keep alcohol inside or on your property. Discourage your guests from leaving your home with open containers of intoxicants. If they are on the street with their drinks, they can be issued a citation and will attract our attention to your party.

What to do when we Show Up

Have all tenants who are present contact us. We are generally there because of a complaint, but may have other reasons to contact you. Refusing to contact us will not avoid a citation. We may go away, but we intend to contact you on following days. You can be cited later and the additional time we spend making contact with you will be reported to the Municipal Judge.

Be cooperative. Bring identification with you when you contact us. Ask your guests to avoid trying to influence our decisions. Our experience is that they are rarely effective advocates. Debating the merits of a citation is best accomplished in court when no one has been drinking.

Guidelines for Keeping Your Party Safe

Offer non-alcoholic beverages and food. This is just a matter of being a good host. Some people can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol.

Don’t let intoxicated guests drive home or leave alone. You have assumed some responsibility for their behavior by serving them. Call Stripes or a cab.

Use common sense. Getting intoxicated can be dangerous. Monitor the behavior of your guests and avoid over-serving them.

Attend parties with friends and never walk home alone. If your guest(s) walk home, encourage the use of a buddy system.