Raleigh, NC Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Sec. 13-3017(a) defines a nuisance party as any party or social gathering in the City that, because of attendees' conduct, results in one or more listed conditions: unlawful public possession or consumption of alcohol, drunken and disruptive conduct, public urination or defecation, unlawful sale or furnishing of alcohol, illegal dumping of trash, destruction of property, traffic that obstructs the neighborhood or blocks emergency services, excessive or unusually loud noise disturbing the neighborhood's repose, public disturbances or fights, or obscene or indecent conduct. Subsection (b) reaches beyond attendees to the person in control of the property: any owner, occupant, tenant, or other person with possessory control who sponsors, conducts, hosts, invites, permits, or continues to allow a gathering that becomes a nuisance is in violation, and anyone who stays after being told to leave by an officer is separately liable.

Entertainment-center permit holders and City-authorized gatherings are exempt under (c). Enforcement is layered: (d) sets a civil penalty of $100 for a first violation, rising to $300 for each subsequent violation within 12 months, issued directly by the Police Department, with each calendar day of a continuing violation counted separately; (e) lets a cited person appeal in writing to the Police Department within 10 calendar days, which stays the penalty pending review by the Chief of Police or an independent arbitrator selected under North Carolina Supreme Court arbitration rules; (f) preserves injunctive relief as an additional remedy; and (g) allows criminal prosecution as a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days' imprisonment or a $500 fine, with each day again a separate offense.