Montgomery County committee approves bill raising penalties for unpermitted for‑profit house parties

A Montgomery County joint committee on Thursday approved Bill 13‑25, an update to county code intended to curb unpermitted, for‑profit “picnics, dances, soirees and other entertainment” — now explicitly including “party” — by expanding enforcement tools and increasing civil penalties when violations occur at residential properties.

The bill, introduced May 6 as “Bill 13‑25, licensing and regulations generally, picnics, dances, soirees, and other entertainment amendments,” was approved by the joint committee of the Economic Development and Public Safety standing committees “without objection,” committee chair Natalie Fani Gonzales (chair, Economic Development Committee) said at the meeting. The package adopted several staff‑recommended technical changes and an amendment to expedite the bill’s effective date.

The measure would revise Montgomery County Code section 30‑1 to expressly include “party” among prohibited unpermitted activities and raise the maximum civil penalty for a 30‑1 violation occurring at a residential property to $5,000 (the current class‑A civil maximum in county code has been $500; the original criminal penalty in the historic code dateback included a $25 fine). County legal staff told the committee the $5,000 cap is the maximum permitted under state law. The bill also applies the same increased civil maximum to three related code provisions that typically…