Contra Costa County Municipal Code Ch. 54-3 Social Host

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, adopted Oct. 14, 2008, repealed the former Ch. 54-3, §§ 54-3.002—54-3.010, and enacted a new Ch. 54-3 as set out herein. The former Ch. 54-3 pertained to juvenile gatherings and derived from Ord. 91-51, § 1.

This chapter is known and may be cited as the Contra Costa County Social Host Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, 10-14-08)

The board of supervisors hereby finds: (1) that underage drinking is a serious threat to public health and safety; (2) that gatherings on private property where alcohol is consumed by juveniles is a serious problem in Contra Costa County; (3) that problems associated with such gatherings are difficult to resolve unless the sheriff's office has additional ability to hold those persons who host such gatherings responsible; and (4) that the sheriff's ability to enforce this ordinance against hosts of juvenile gatherings will result in a decrease in juvenile abuse of intoxicants, physical fights, vandalism, noise disturbances, and other alcohol related incidents.

(Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, 10-14-08)

For purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases have the following meanings:

(a) "Gathering" means a group of persons who have assembled, or are assembling, for a social occasion or for a social activity.

(b) "Place of residence" means private property that is owned, rented or leased by a person.

(Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, 10-14-08)

(a) No person shall suffer, permit, allow, or host a gathering at the person's place of residence or other private property under the person's control where three or more persons under the age of twenty-one are present and where alcoholic beverages are in the possession of, or are being consumed by, any person under the age of twenty-one.

(b) A violation of this chapter is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by both.

(c) This chapter does not apply to any gathering involving the use of alcoholic beverages that is protected by Article 1, Section 4 of the California Constitution.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, 10-14-08)