Santa Ana, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Article VII of Chapter 10, adopted by Ordinance No. NS-1958 in 1988, addresses repeat police calls to large parties, gatherings, or events on private property that threaten the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare. Section 10-301 defines the 'person responsible for the event' as the property owner, the person in charge of the premises, or the event's organizer, with parents or guardians jointly and severally liable if that person is a minor. Section 10-302 triggers liability on a 'second response': once an officer determines a threat exists and issues a written warning, a further police response for a 'special security assignment' makes the responsible person liable for the cost of that policing, and the return call can also lead to arrests or citations under the state penal code or other local rules.

Section 10-303 caps the police services fee at $500 for a single incident, covering personnel and equipment costs, while preserving the City's right to seek actual costs above that cap through other legal remedies; the fee becomes a debt owed to the City, collectible with attorney fees. Section 10-304 requires the chief of police to notify the director of finance in writing of the responsible person's name and address, the incident's date, time, and services performed, so the finance department can issue billing. Section 10-305 gives any aggrieved individual the right to appeal a chief-of-police penalty assessment to the city council under Chapter 3 of the code.