Lawton, OK Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 16-4-1-401
- Unlawful assembly
- 2+ persons acting in concert, subsec. B(7)
- Officer dispersal power
- Officer may order person to leave, subsec. C
- Refusing officer's order
- Separate violation
- Max penalty
- $750.00 fine or 60 days jail (§1-1-119)
- Exception
- Peaceful picketing/speech, subsec. D
Summary
Lawton treats a loud, unruly gathering as disturbing the peace: Section 16-4-1-401 bans holding an unlawful assembly acting in concert toward unlawful acts, and separately bans loud and offensive noise that unreasonably annoys or disturbs neighbors. An officer who judges a gathering is causing these conditions can order participants to leave, and refusing is itself a violation.
A.It is unlawful to disturb or alarm the peace of another or others by doing any of the acts set out in Subsection B of this section.B....7.Holding an unlawful assembly of two (2) or more persons, including being assembled together and acting in concert, to do any unlawful act against the peace or to the terror of others or preparing for or moving toward such acts, or otherwise assembling unlawfully or riotously;...11.Making of loud and/or offensive noises which unreasonably, continuously or substantially annoy, disturb, injure or endanger the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others;...C.Whenever any police officer shall, in the exercise of reasonable judgment, decide that the presence of any person in any public place is causing any of the conditions enumerated in Subsection B herein, he may, if he deems it necessary for the preservation of the public peace and safety, order that person to leave that place; and any who shall refuse to leave after being ordered to do so by a police officer shall be guilty of a violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-4-1-401 doesn't single out house parties by name, but its enumerated acts squarely cover them. ' Either act is only a violation if committed in a manner that would 'foreseeably alarm or disturb the peace of another or others,' the umbrella standard set in Subsection A. The ordinance gives police officers direct authority to break up a disturbance in real time: under Subsection C, if an officer reasonably judges that a person's presence in a public place is causing any of the listed conditions, the officer may order that person to leave, and refusing to leave after being so ordered is itself a separate violation of the section.
Subsection D carves out an exception for peaceful picketing, public speaking and other lawful expression that doesn't otherwise break the law, so political or religious gatherings are not swept in merely because they draw a crowd or make noise. There is no host-liability clause naming the person who threw the party; anyone present who commits one of the enumerated acts, guest or host, is individually exposed. 00, up to sixty days in jail, or both.
Violations & Fines
Disturbing the peace under 16-4-1-401 carries no dedicated fine schedule, so it falls under the general penalty at Section 1-1-119: up to $750.00, up to sixty days in the city jail, or both, plus court costs. Refusing a police officer's order to leave a disturbance is charged as its own separate violation of the same section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Lawton police shut down a loud party?
Is the host of a loud party specifically liable?
What's the penalty for disturbing the peace in Lawton?
Does this apply to protests or religious gatherings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawton
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