Montgomery County Council votes to increase fines for illegal house parties

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – Montgomery County leaders are cracking down on unlicensed house parties that are causing problems in many communities.

On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously for Bill 13-25, which will increase penalties for people who throw illegal house parties.

The legislation now prohibits any unlicensed parties for profit without filing the proper paperwork. It also increases fines for anyone who is caught throwing an illegal party from a maximum of $500 to a maximum of $5000.

The bill was introduced by council members Dawn Luedtke and Andrew Friedson after several illegal house parties took place in their districts in recent years. Both said they are pleased with the outcome of Tuesday’s vote.

“This was incredibly important, not just for my district, but across the county. It’s not that we didn’t have some tools available; they just weren’t functioning quite right in terms of both deterrents and enforcement,” Luedtke said.

Friedson said the parties were “not appropriate.”

“They’re not safe, and they’re not reasonable to have in neighborhoods. I appreciate the work that we’re doing here to crack down on them.”

Now that Bill 13-25 has passed, it will go into effect after Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich signs it.