Frequently Asked Questions

Criminal damage to property is defined as knowingly destroying, damaging, defacing, or impairing the use of another's property.

It is unlawful to knowingly commit an act that alarms, angers, or disturbs others or provokes an assault or breaches peace. Engaging in such behavior will result in the charge of disorderly conduct. Disorderly conduct also includes committing any of the following acts: engaging in brawling or fighting; disturbing an assembly, meeting or procession not unlawful in its character; or using offensive, obscene, or abusive language which constitutes fighting words that tend reasonably to arouse anger or resentment in others.

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is defined as anyone under the influence of either drugs or alcohol with a blood alcohol content of.08 or higher operating a motor vehicle. If you are under the age of 21 it is illegal to be under the influence of any amount of drugs or alcohol, especially when operating a motor vehicle.

It is unlawful to display or possess any fictitious or fraudulently altered driver’s license. 

It is unlawful to buy, sell or give alcoholic beverages to a minor.

It is unlawful to recklessly permit your home or other property to be used for unlawful possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors.

A pedestrian who is under the influence of alcohol or any drug to a degree which makes him or her a hazard may not walk in the street.

It is unlawful for any person who is obligated to have an alcoholic liquor retailer's license to sell, keep for sale, offer for sale or expose for sale any alcoholic liquor unless he or she has in his or her possession a valid, unexpired license issued by the city for such purpose. This includes any public or private location.

Littering is dumping, throwing, placing, depositing or leaving, or causing to be dumped, thrown, deposited or left any refuse of any kind or any object or substance which tends to pollute, mar or deface, into or about: any public street, highway, alley, road, right-of-way, park or other public place, or any lake, stream, watercourse, or other body of water, except by direction of some public officer or employee authorized by law to direct or permit such acts; or any private property without the consent of the owner or occupant of such property.

No one under the age of 21 may purchase, attempt to purchase, consume, or possess alcoholic beverages.

It is unlawful to use mobile devices within city limits while driving, unless the device is configured for hands-free use. It is also unlawful to manipulate a mobile device, for example texting while driving.

It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise or any noise which unreasonably either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city. Playing loud music or making any other excessive noise that unreasonably disturbs others is unlawful.

It is unlawful to carry an open container of an alcoholic beverage on public property, including parks, streets, sidewalks, and parking lots.

The following is a brief summary of fines for differing parking violations.

Violators may receive more than one citation while parked in the same location. Vehicles can be towed at the ticketing officer's discretion.

• Fine for parking on private property: $25
• Fine for parking on public property longer than 48 hours: $15
• Fine for parking in the grass: $25
• Fine for parking in limited time zone, overparking in two- to three-hour time zone, parking in no parking time, parking without permit: standard fine of $15
• Fine for parking blocking driveway: $20
• Fine for parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant: $20
• Fine for parking too far away from the curb: $20
• Fine for parking in handicapped without permit: $50
• Fine for parking in alley, within 3 feet of an alley's intersection or within 3 feet of a driveway entrance: $20

Unpaid fines can increase and result in warrants.

It shall be unlawful for any person within the city to possess marijuana. "Marijuana" means all parts of all varieties of the plant Cannabis whether growing or not, the seeds thereof, the resin extracted from any part of the plant and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant, its seeds or resin.

It shall be unlawful for any person within the city to use or possess with intent to use any drug paraphernalia, knowing or under circumstances where one reasonably should know that it will be used to use, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance in violation of the uniform controlled substances act, K.S.A. 65-4101 et seq., and amendments thereto.

It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly, intentionally or recklessly, appear in a state of nudity in a public place.

The Manhattan Code of Ordinances definitions of nudity:

• Nudity means less than completely or opaquely covering and exposing to view:
  1. Human male or female genitals; or
  2. Any portion of the anal cleft or cleavage of the male or female buttocks. Attire that is insufficient to comply with this requirement includes, but is not limited to, G-strings, T-backs, thongs or any other clothing that does not completely or opaquely cover the anal cleft or cleavage of the male or female buttocks; or
  3. Human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.

It is unlawful to allow trash to accumulate anywhere - yards, alleys, sidewalks, neighboring properties, etc. With 24 hours notice, the City may clean up your trash and send you the bill for the cost of cleanup (minimum $155).

It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully resist, oppose or obstruct any public officer, his deputy or lawful assistant, while in the discharge of his official duty or in making any lawful arrest in the city.

It is unlawful to smoke in indoor public places, such as bars and restaurants, or within twenty (20) feet of the entrances to indoor public places.

It is unlawful to transport open containers of alcoholic beverages in a vehicle.

It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate upon any public street, alley, sidewalk, or while in any park, parking lot or other public place except in sanitation facilities provided.