Kern County, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

36, adopted by Ordinance G-7731 in 2008 in response to the county's high foreclosure rate and the resulting stock of vacant, lender-owned homes, targets parties held at vacant property for sale without the owner's permission. 020 defines a 'nuisance party' as any gathering where attendees enter and occupy real property or structures owned by someone else, without the consent of the owner, the owner's agent, or the person in lawful possession, and where the conduct of those attending produces at least one of five conditions: disorderly conduct; furnishing alcohol to, or consumption of alcohol by, an underage person; illegal use of a controlled substance; illegal dumping of litter or refuse; or defacing, damaging or destroying the property, fixtures or furnishings on site.

030, attending, promoting or coordinating a nuisance party is a civil violation subjecting every responsible person to a $1,000 civil money penalty, and the sheriff must issue citations to identified attendees, promoters or coordinators within 30 days of the gathering, with the citation itself notifying recipients of their right to an administrative hearing. 060 treats a nuisance party as an immediate threat to public health and safety, letting the sheriff summarily disband the gathering under Government Code Section 25845(a) and authorizing both the sheriff and the district attorney to enforce the chapter alongside any other applicable law.

040, and ultimately seek judicial review by writ of mandate. 050 exempts activities protected under Article I, Section 4 of the California Constitution, the state's religious freedom clause.