Santee, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Section 7.22.210 sits in Article 2 of Chapter 7.22, aimed at minors' consumption rather than noise or nuisance generally; a 'gathering' is defined in § 7.22.110 as three or more people assembled for a social occasion. Subsection A(1) requires anyone with control of a premises who knowingly hosts, permits or allows a gathering to take reasonable steps to prevent minors from consuming alcohol, marijuana or other controlled substances there, listing examples: controlling access to the substances, controlling the quantity present, checking government-issued identification, and supervising minors' activities.

Subsection A(2) creates a rebuttable presumption: if the person with control of the premises is present when a minor possesses or consumes alcohol or a controlled substance, that presence alone is prima facie evidence the host knew or should have known. Subsection B narrows the rule: it does not reach alcohol used exclusively between a minor and their own parent or guardian under Article I, Section 4 of the California Constitution, nor premises regulated by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. A related section, § 7.24.020, separately makes the person in charge of any large gathering liable for the cost of a second police or Sheriff's-deputy response once an officer has already warned that the gathering threatens public peace or safety, with the City able to pursue other remedies once costs exceed $500.00.