While you are allowed to drink at your own private party on the bus, California law dictates that anyone under the age of majority on a party bus where there is alcohol must be accompanied by a companion who is at least 25 years old. Inform your customers about the risks they take when they choose to pay less when renting a party bus. In California, there is currently no type of license that allows the party bus operator to supply alcohol. Specifically, a charter bus company that serves alcohol or allows alcohol to be served must require the chartering party to provide a designated companion to any member of the charter group under the age of 21. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, starting January 1, party bus companies should ask customers during the reservation if there will be underage passengers and if alcohol will be served.
The Public Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) regulates the safety of charter bus companies, which also include party buses. California tightened rules on party buses after a San Mateo teenager died in an accident after leaving a party bus. Dishonest operators who evade laws with unsafe vehicles and negligent actions harm the industry in general and endanger the lives of their customers and other traffic participants. There is no specific law prohibiting party bus passengers from standing up, making noise and dancing while the vehicle is in motion.
Part of taking a party bus is enjoying the fact that you can give up some responsibility for a while. Once the trip is underway, the companion must notify the bus driver if underage passengers drink alcohol and the bus must return to the starting point. There have been cases where people found another group of customers on their party bus after returning to the vehicle, even though their booking time wasn't over yet. In a recent incident near Santa Cruz, California, a fight broke out on a party bus between two young adults who fell off the moving bus.
