Acworth, GA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- First offense minimum fine
- $1,000 (§ 6-204(a)(1))
- Second offense minimum fine
- $2,500
- Third+ offense minimum fine
- $5,000 per offense
- Who is liable
- Anyone in legal or actual control of the location
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2014-23, Oct. 2, 2014
- Enforcement
- Acworth Police Department and city prosecutor
Summary
Acworth makes it a violation for anyone controlling a home or other private property to knowingly let a party continue where an underage guest possesses or drinks alcohol. Sections 6-200 through 6-204 target parents and other adult 'social hosts,' with mandatory minimum fines of $1,000 for a first offense, $2,500 for a second and $5,000 for every offense after that.
Sec. 6-200. - Scope of article. Be it hereby enacted by the mayor and the board of aldermen that persons under the age of 21 who are in possession of alcoholic beverages (hereafter designated as underage persons), and adults, including parents and/or legal guardians (hereafter designated as "social hosts") who facilitate such possession by furnishing alcoholic beverages or by providing access to a location and/or gathering where alcohol can be obtained by underage persons, are in violation of the City of Acworth, Georgia, Code of Ordinances. ... (1)They can be cited for the first offense and shall not be fined less than $1,000.00.(2)If cited for a second offense they shall not be fined less than $2,500.00.(3)If cited for a third and/or subsequent offenses the fine shall not be less than $5,000.00 per each offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Article V of Chapter 6, adopted by Ordinance No. 2014-23 in 2014, declares that persons under 21 who possess alcohol and the adults, including parents and legal guardians, who facilitate that possession are both in violation of the Code. Section 6-202 defines a 'social host' broadly as anyone in legal and actual control of the location, whether a house, apartment, mobile home, hotel room, campground site or even a public park where a gathering is staged, and a 'gathering' only needs one underage person present.
Section 6-203 spells out three separate duties: a property controller may not knowingly host, permit or allow a party to continue once an underage guest is known to possess or consume alcohol there; a parent or guardian may not knowingly let their own minor attend a party where the minor will drink; and anyone hosting a gathering has an affirmative duty to take reasonable steps to prevent underage drinking, with a breach of that duty a violation in itself. § 3-3-23. Each incident is charged as a separate offense, and the Acworth Police Department and city prosecutor enforce it.
Section 6-204 escalates the fines with each citation and layers on non-monetary consequences: mandatory court appearances for anyone cited, mandatory rehabilitative sessions after a first citation, at least three structured education sessions after a second, and a mandatory referral to a licensed therapist for assessment and a court-supervised treatment plan after a third.
Violations & Fines
A first citation under Article V carries a minimum fine of $1,000, a second no less than $2,500, and a third or later offense no less than $5,000 per offense, none of which is capped by the Code. Cited hosts must appear in municipal court personally and, after repeat citations, complete mandated alcohol-education or treatment programs alongside the minor involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be fined if my teenager's friends drink at my house without my knowledge?
What's the minimum fine for a first social hosting citation in Acworth?
Does Acworth's social host ordinance cover apartments and hotel rooms, or just houses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Acworth
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