While many of your neighbors in Oxford might be students, Oxford is also full of young families, retired couples, and young professionals. Many of these long-time Oxford residents are not likely to keep the same schedule or lifestyle as the typical college student. Oxford has enacted some laws pertaining to the acceptable levels of noise in local neighborhoods. 

As an off-campus student, you should also familiarize with the Good Neighbor Policy to learn how Miami University handles these off-campus citations. 

Restrictions

The Oxford ordinance on Noise Restrictions (509.10), boiled down, asserts that noise that is plainly audible at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet from your property is not permitted (at any time) so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of the community. 

Violation of the Noise Ordinance

Violations of the Noise Ordinance can be written as a criminal misdemeanor or an administrative ticket. Criminal Misdemeanors come with a fine and court costs, while administrative tickets include just a fine of $150.

Nuisance Party Ordinance

In 2003 Oxford adopted a Nuisance Party Ordinance (Section 509.13) to address situations when the police must make repeated appearances at a party due to either complaints from the community or evident unsafe behavior during routine officer patrol. When parties become out-of-control, they are a danger to the health, safety and welfare of all Oxford citizens.

Any number of conditions and conduct can lead to nuisance party citations. Monitoring your party for unsafe and out-of-control situations can keep you out of trouble. Some of the events or conditions that can lead to a nuisance party citation are disorderly conduct, noise violations, underage possession, consumption and/or furnishing illegal use of a controlled substance, littering, public indecency, damage or destruction of property, standing or parking of vehicles that obstruct the free flow of traffic on public streets and sidewalks or that impede the ability to render emergency services, or any other conduct or condition that threatens injury, inconvenience, or alarm to persons or damage to property.

Nuisance Party citations come with a $500 fine.