Clown costumes have been banned in a Mississippi county until the day after Halloween following a series of creepy clown sightings and scares across the country.
The ordinance was approved unanimously by the Kemper County Board of Supervisors on Monday, the chancery clerk's office told BuzzFeed News.
The county's stance against clowns comes after creepy clowns were reported in one South Carolina town trying to lure children into the woods. The story sparked copycats as well as false police reports about clowns across the US and beyond.
Earlier this month, a college student in Texas told police someone dressed as a clown tried to grab her at a campus housing complex. A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense in London after reports of a clown carrying a chainsaw near a university.
"It has really gotten out of hand," board president Johnny Whitsett said, as reported by the Kemper County Messenger.
Any resident caught wearing a clown costume, mask, or makeup could be fined up to $150. The ordinance expires Nov. 1.
Kemper County sits near the Mississippi-Alabama border and is home to about 10,000 people.