Baltimore County, MD Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Section 13-7-132(a) says a property owner or any responsible person may not conduct, cause, aid, allow, permit, or condone an unruly social gathering at a residence or other private property in the county. Under § 13-7-131(l), a gathering is "unruly" when four or more persons are present and either alcoholic beverages are furnished to, consumed by, or possessed by an underage person (anyone under twenty-one) in violation of state law, or conduct causes a substantial disturbance of the peace and quiet enjoyment of private or public property. The list of disturbances covers excessive noise under § 17-3-103, traffic well above the normal level for that day and hour in the zoning district, controlled substance use, crowds spilling onto public streets, public drunkenness, fights, vandalism, public urination, and littering.

A "responsible person" is anyone with a right of possession in the property, the organizer or supervisor, or anyone who accepts responsibility for the event. That person does not have to be present, and if the responsible person is a juvenile, the juvenile and the parents or legal guardians can be jointly and severally liable for the penalties. The covered premises include any dwelling with six or fewer units, apartments, condominiums, yards, and even hotel or motel rooms.

The process in § 13-7-133 runs through a Police Officer, who can issue a civil citation to every identified responsible person. Within 30 days, the officer must serve the property owner with a warning on the first violation, following § 13-7-113(c), and a civil citation on the second and later violations. Penalties in § 13-7-134 count violations inside a 24-month window: $500 and 20 hours of community service for a first violation, $1,000 and 32 hours plus a $500 penalty on the property owner for a second, and $1,000 and 48 hours plus a $1,000 owner penalty and possible suspension or revocation of the rental license for a third or later. Community service has to be performed within two miles of the gathering.

Family gatherings, legally protected religious activities, and gatherings involving allegations of domestic violence or sexual assault fall outside the prohibition. A violation is a civil offense separate from any other offense committed during the party, such as an underage alcohol charge.