Social Host Ordinance

Curbing Underage Drinking

The Dublin City Council has adopted new regulations and fines designed to curb underage drinking.

The new Social Host Ordinance, adopted on May 19, 2009, goes into effect immediately and holds persons hosting parties involving alcohol responsible for making sure that guests drinking alcohol are at least 21 years old. The ordinance gives law enforcement an additional tool to combat underage drinking.

Ordinance Violation Details

Violation of the ordinance is an infraction. Infractions are punishable by a fine of:
  • $100 dollars for a 1st violation
  • $200 dollars for a 2nd violation
  • $500 dollars for each additional violation within one year of the first violation
Note: The responsible person need not be present at the gathering in order to be deemed in violation of its provisions. For example, if a party occurs at his or her residence where the responsible person reasonably knew there would be underage alcohol consumption and they were not present at the time of the party, he or she could be in violation of the ordinance if underage drinking occurs.

The City plans on distributing information on this new ordinance to schools, neighborhood groups, and to other organizations.

Resources

Contact Us

For additional information about the Social Host Ordinance, please contact Sergeant Chris Shepard at 925-833-6670.