If a person issued a notice to appear refuses to sign the notice, what action cannot code enforcement officers/inspectors take?

When a person issued a notice to appear refuses to sign the notice, code enforcement officers or inspectors cannot take the action of arresting that person. The signing of a notice to appear is typically an acknowledgment of receipt rather than an admission of guilt or a legal obligation to comply in a way that would justify an arrest.

In many jurisdictions, the refusal to sign does not automatically escalate the situation to a criminal proceeding, unless there are additional legal grounds involved that warrant arrest, such as noncompliance with a lawful order or threatening behavior. The focus of the code enforcement process is primarily on compliance with regulations and the ability to rectify violations rather than punitive actions that do not align with civil enforcement processes.

Officers can still issue a fine, conduct a hearing about the violation, or request additional evidence to support their case or for the hearing process. These actions align with the civil nature of code enforcement, which is focused on promoting compliance with municipal ordinances rather than criminal enforcement.