Truckee, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- TMC § 9.19.030
- First civil penalty
- $250.00
- Second civil penalty
- $500.00 within 12 months
- Third+ civil penalty
- $1,000.00 within 12 months
- Cost recovery
- Police costs billed after 2nd response/year
- Appeal window
- 21 days for administrative citation
Summary
Truckee's Social Host Liability ordinance makes anyone who hosts, permits, or controls a party where a person under 21 possesses or uses alcohol, marijuana, or a controlled substance strictly liable, regardless of the host's knowledge. Civil penalties climb from $250 to $1,000 per repeat violation, and the Town can bill for a second police response.
(a)No person shall suffer, permit, allow, or host a party, gathering, or event on public property or at his or her place of residence or private property, place or premises under his or her control where alcoholic beverages, marijuana, or controlled substances are in the possession of, or are being used or consumed by, any person under the age of 21 years. A violation of this section may occur irrespective of whether such person had actual knowledge of the event, intended that alcohol beverages would be possessed or consumed by minors, or was present at the event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a landlord shall not be in violation of this paragraph unless he or she has knowledge that the party, gathering, or event is to take place or is taking place. ... $250.00 for a first violation;(b)$500.00 for a second violation within 12 months of the first violation;(c)$1,000.00 for each additional violation within 12 months of the first violation.
Full Breakdown
030 by suffering, permitting, allowing, or hosting a party, gathering, or event on public or private property under their control where anyone under 21 possesses, uses, or consumes alcohol, marijuana, or a controlled substance, whether or not the host had actual knowledge or was present. A landlord is excepted unless he or she knew the gathering was happening. A host avoids liability only by immediately calling law enforcement to remove the violator or to terminate the gathering. The ordinance does not reach property regulated by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
040, anyone who violates the chapter must reimburse the Town for all police service costs, including officer salaries and benefits, on any second police response to the same premises within a year of the first, and any later response within a year of the second; unpaid costs become a lien on the property and are collected like delinquent Town taxes. If the responsible person is a juvenile, the juvenile's parents or guardians are jointly and severally liable. 060, and remedies under the chapter are cumulative with any other Town or state enforcement action.
Violations & Fines
Section 9.19.050 sets escalating civil penalties: $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second violation within 12 months, and $1,000 for each additional violation within that 12-month window. On top of the civil penalty, a host is liable for the Town's actual police service costs on a second or later response within a year, which can be recorded as a lien on the property and collected like unpaid property taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be liable for a party at my house even if I didn't know minors were drinking?
How much is the fine for hosting a party where minors use alcohol or drugs?
Does Truckee bill hosts for police responses to repeat parties?
How can a host avoid a social host citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Truckee
California rules heatmap·Compare Truckee to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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