Town of Elon Ordinances and Regulations

Elon students are expected to follow all local, state and national laws and ordinances and are held accountable  to the Student Code of Conduct. 

As members of the larger Town of Elon community, students are reminded that they should be familiar with all Town of Elon ordinances. These are found on the Town of Elon website at: Town of Elon

Some highlighted ordinances students should be aware of: 

Parking: Students are reminded that the Town of Elon has regulations regarding parking in town, including along town streets. Students should be mindful to ONLY park in areas designated by parking signs and remember:

• Parking signs will indicate the time limit for a particular block of spaces, but not every space will have its own sign.  Students should look for the sign that is designated for the block of spaces in which they have parked and note the time limit assigned.
• Town ordinance prohibits drivers from  moving parked vehicles to another parking space to avoid a parking ticket.  If students have parked downtown, leave and return within the same day, they need to park in an entirely different BLOCK to avoid getting a parking ticket.
• A yellow painted curb (or yellow stripes on the road) mean parking is prohibited
• Parking against the follow of traffic (e.g. parking left of curb) is prohibited. 

Town of Elon Noise Violations: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to create or assist in creating any unreasonably loud, disturbing sound levels in the Town (especially between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.); or loud noise near any school, educational facility, church, or court during normal operating hours.
Penalty- fine ($50) and court costs ($110)

Fires: With the popularity of fire bowls/pits students will want to be careful about any open burning.  Some contained open fires are permissible outside but residents are also responsible for any damages.  The following link outlines all Town Ordinances; Chapter 94 talks specifically about fire setting and Section 94.48 discusses open burning.  http://www.elonnc.com/images/stories/PDFs/code-of-ordinances/elon_ordinances_part_2.pdf.  

Trash/Furniture and Community Standards: Students who reside in or visit in the Town of Elon are also reminded to be good stewards of the properties where they live.  Below are specific ordinances to help you be aware of what is within acceptable guidelines.  If you are planning an event, you will want to keep these ordinances in mind as you clean-up after an event.

• Trash and Littering Violations: It is unlawful for any person to throw, drop, or leave any deteriorated household materials, waste material, unusable building materials or any other trash on any public or private properties within the corporate limits of the Town
o Penalty- fine ($250) and court costs ($110)

• Community Appearance Standards: The existence of any indoor furniture, appliances, junk, etc. on any porch, yard, or open space on the exterior of a building is unlawful and a violation of town ordinances.
o Penalty- fine and court costs

Litter, debris, or  trash (bags of garbage), which is scattered, cast, thrown, blown, placed, swept, or deposited anywhere on as defined as a “open space” in the Community Appearance Standards Ordinance.  Open spaces are defined as exterior portions of the property ordinarily exposed to the outside and/or public view, including front, side, rear yards, and driveway(s) of the property. The owner and/or occupant of the dwelling unit, in which, is occupied, shall exercise reasonable diligence to keep exterior premises clean of litter, trash, and/or waste materials of any kind.

 All waste materials, trash, litter, or any man-made materials shall be cleaned and/or picked up from any “open spaces” of the property immediately

Alcohol and Enforcement: Students are reminded that Town of Elon officials are obligated to enforce local, state and national laws with regard to alcohol consumption. Some of the more common laws are listed below as a reminder. It is also important that other agencies, such as Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), periodically visit the Town to enforce these policies. Sometimes the University is apprised of these visits in advance, and sometimes University officials are not made aware of those visits in advance. Historically, these visits by ALE have increased during the warmer weather months, at the beginning of the academic year and toward the closing of the school year. ALE also tends to increase their activity if they become aware of the potential for large and disruptive events.

An officer may also require anyone under the age of 21 to submit to a chemical analysis if there is probable cause that the person is under the influence of alcohol. Refusal to submit to a chemical analysis test for an implied-consent offense (e.g., impaired driving) will result in loss of driver’s license for one year; more in certain circumstances.

Occupancy Ordinances: Students are reminded that town ordinances prohibit more than three unrelated persons from occupying a single dwelling.  Students should talk with their property owner/landlord about this ordinance and make sure they are in compliance.  Students who have questions  have questions about whether their residence is subject to this ordinance should call call Town Manager Richard White or Town Planner Sean Tencer at (336) 584-3601.  Town officials are obligated to enforce this policy if it is reported to them and the court system has upheld all challenges to this ordinance.