OpenLegislation

Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003

2003 c. 38 · Enacted 20 November 2003 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Not fully up to date. 3 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 May 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 44(1)(f)words insertedPlanning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026 Sch. 2 para. 344
s. 47(1)words insertedPlanning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026 Sch. 2 para. 345
s. 40(5)(a)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 59

An Act to make provision in connection with anti-social behaviour.

[20th November 2003]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Premises where drugs used unlawfully Repealed
  2. 1Closure notice Repealed
  3. 2Closure order Repealed
  4. 3Closure order: enforcement Repealed
  5. 4Closure of premises: offences Repealed
  6. 5Extension and discharge of closure order Repealed
  7. 6Appeals Repealed
  8. 7Access to other premises Repealed
  9. 8Reimbursement of costs Repealed
  10. 9Exemption from liability for certain damages Repealed
  11. 10Compensation Repealed
  12. 11Interpretation Repealed
  13. Part 1A: Premises associated with persistent disorder or nuisance Repealed
  14. 11APart 1A closure notice Repealed
  15. 11BPart 1A closure order Repealed
  16. 11CPart 1A closure order: enforcement Repealed
  17. 11DClosure of premises associated with persistent disorder or nuisance: offences Repealed
  18. 11EPart 1A closure order: extension and discharge Repealed
  19. 11FPart 1A closure order: appeals Repealed
  20. 11GPart 1A closure order: access to other premises Repealed
  21. 11HPart 1A closure order: reimbursement of costs Repealed
  22. 11IPart 1A closure notice or order: exemption from liability Repealed
  23. 11JPart 1A closure notices and orders: compensation Repealed
  24. 11KGuidance Repealed
  25. 11LInterpretation Repealed
  26. Part 2: Housing
  27. 12Anti-social behaviour: landlords' policies and procedures
  28. 13Injunctions against anti-social behaviour on application of certain social landlords Repealed
  29. 14Security of tenure: anti-social behaviour
  30. 15Demoted assured shorthold tenancies
  31. 16Proceedings for possession: anti-social behaviour
  32. 17Devolution: Wales
  33. Part 3: Parental responsibilities
  34. Parenting orders under the 1998 Act
  35. 18Parenting orders under the 1998 Act
  36. Truancy and misbehaviour at school
  37. 19Parenting contracts in cases of misbehaviour at school or truancy
  38. 20Parenting orders in cases of exclusion or potential exclusion from school
  39. 21Parenting orders: supplemental
  40. 22Parenting orders: appeals
  41. 22AParenting contracts and parenting orders: further provisions
  42. 23Penalty notices for parents in cases of truancy
  43. 24Interpretation
  44. Criminal conduct and anti-social behaviour
  45. 25Parenting contracts in respect of criminal conduct and anti-social behaviour : youth offending teams
  46. 25AParenting contracts in respect of anti-social behaviour: local authorities
  47. 25BParenting contracts in respect of anti-social behaviour: relevant housing providers
  48. 26Parenting orders in respect of criminal conduct and anti-social behaviour : youth offending teams
  49. 26AParenting orders in respect of anti-social behaviour: local authorities
  50. 26BParenting orders in respect of anti-social behaviour: relevant housing providers
  51. 26CApplications under section 26A or 26B in county court proceedings
  52. 27Parenting orders: supplemental
  53. 28Parenting orders: appeals
  54. 28AContracting out of local authority functions
  55. 29Interpretation and consequential amendment
  56. Part 4: Dispersal of groups etc. Repealed
  57. 30Dispersal of groups and removal of persons under 16 to their place of residence Repealed
  58. 31Authorisations: supplemental Repealed
  59. 32Powers under section 30: supplemental Repealed
  60. 33Powers of community support officers Repealed
  61. 34Code of practice Repealed
  62. 35Authorisations by British Transport Police Repealed
  63. 36Interpretation Repealed
  64. Part 5: Firearms
  65. 37Possession of air weapon or imitation firearm in public place
  66. 38Air weapons: age limits
  67. 39Prohibition of certain air weapons
  68. Part 6: The environment
  69. Noise
  70. 40Closure of noisy premises Repealed
  71. 41Closure of noisy premises: supplemental Repealed
  72. 42Dealing with noise at night
  73. Penalty notices for graffiti and fly-posting
  74. 43Penalty notices for graffiti and fly-posting
  75. 43AAmount of penalty
  76. 43BPenalty notices: power to require name and address
  77. 44Meaning of relevant offence
  78. 45Penalty receipts
  79. 46Powers of police civilians
  80. 47Interpretation etc
  81. ...
  82. 48Defacement removal notices Repealed
  83. 49Recovery of expenditure Repealed
  84. 50Guidance Repealed
  85. 51Appeals Repealed
  86. 52Exemption from liability in relation to defacement removal notices Repealed
  87. Advertisements
  88. 53Display of advertisements in contravention of regulations
  89. Aerosol paints
  90. 54Sale of aerosol paint to children
  91. 54AEnforcement of section 54
  92. Waste and litter
  93. 55Unlawfully deposited waste etc
  94. 56Extension of litter authority powers to take remedial action
  95. Part 7: Public order and trespass
  96. 57Public assemblies
  97. 58Raves
  98. 59Aggravated trespass
  99. 60Power to remove trespassers: alternative site available
  100. 61Failure to comply with direction: offences
  101. 62Failure to comply with direction: seizure
  102. 63Common land: modifications
  103. 64Interpretation
  104. Part 8: High hedges
  105. Introductory
  106. 65Complaints to which this Part applies
  107. 66High hedges
  108. 67Domestic property
  109. Complaints procedure
  110. 68Procedure for dealing with complaints
  111. 69Remedial notices
  112. 70Withdrawal or relaxation of requirements of remedial notices
  113. Appeals
  114. 71Appeals against remedial notices and other decisions of relevant authorities
  115. 72Appeals procedure
  116. 73Determination or withdrawal of appeals
  117. Powers of entry
  118. 74Powers of entry for the purposes of complaints and appeals
  119. Enforcement powers etc.
  120. 75Offences
  121. 76Power to require occupier to permit action to be taken by owner
  122. 77Action by relevant authority
  123. 78Offences committed by bodies corporate
  124. Supplementary
  125. 79Service of documents
  126. 80Documents in electronic form
  127. 81Power to make further provision about documents in electronic form
  128. 82Interpretation
  129. 83Power to amend sections 65 and 66
  130. 84Crown application
  131. Part 9: Miscellaneous powers
  132. 85Anti-social behaviour orders
  133. 86Certain orders made on conviction of offences
  134. 87Penalty notices for disorderly behaviour by young persons Repealed
  135. 88Curfew orders and supervision orders Repealed
  136. 89Extension of powers of community support officers etc.
  137. 90Report by local authority in certain cases where person remanded on bail
  138. 91Proceedings under section 222 of the Local Government Act 1972: power of arrest attached to injunction
  139. Part 10: General
  140. 92Repeals
  141. 93Commencement
  142. 94Orders and regulations
  143. 95Money
  144. 96Extent
  145. 97Short title
  146. Schedule 1: Demoted tenancies
  147. 1Paragraph 1
  148. 2Paragraph 2
  149. Schedule 2: Curfew orders and supervision orders Repealed
  150. Interpretation Repealed
  151. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  152. Curfew orders Repealed
  153. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  154. Supervision orders Repealed
  155. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  156. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  157. Consequential amendments Repealed
  158. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  159. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  160. Schedule 3Repeals