About the Law

Thanks to Social Host legislation Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus signed on March 1, 2016, it is illegal for homeowners or any host 18 years or older to knowingly allow underage drinking at their home or a party, or to not take action to stop underage drinking once they find out about it.

The law will carry the following punishments:

• First offense: Shall constitute a violation and carry a fine of $500. The Court will also order the completion of an alcohol awareness program and/or an appropriate amount of community service time not to exceed 30 hours.
• Second offense: Will constitute an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1,000 and a jail term, not to exceed one year; or both a fine and imprisonment.

Citizen Involvement

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler is asking that you become a part of this vital public service effort, “You Permit It. You Promote It.” You can do one of the following to become involved in the campaign:

• Use hashtags:
  • #SocialHostLawOCNY
  • #BeAParentNotAPeer
  • #YouPermitYouPromote
• Download a You Permit It. You Promote It. poster for display in your office, business, home, etc.
• Change your Facebook cover photo to one of the following images.