Charleston County, SC Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No alcohol at county boat landings
- Citation
- Sec. 14.5-4(a)(8)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail, or both
- Scope
- CCPRC-operated public boat landings only
- Not covered
- General county open-container law
Summary
Charleston County bans drinking alcoholic beverages on the premises of any public boat landing or ramp it operates, alongside a list of other prohibited uses like commercial activity and firearm discharge. A violation is punishable by up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail, or both, the same penalty that covers every other offense listed in the same section.
(a) It shall be unlawful to: ... (8) Consume alcoholic beverages upon the premises of any public boat landing; ... (b) Violations of each of the above provisions are punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-4 of the county code lists ten specific things the public may not do at a Charleston County-operated public boat landing or ramp, and consuming alcoholic beverages on the premises is one of them, subsection (a)(8). C. Code § 23-31-510. This alcohol restriction is scoped to the boat landing premises themselves; it is not a county-wide open-container law covering streets, parks, or beaches generally. 00 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both. The provision was renamed and restructured by Ordinance No. "
Violations & Fines
Drinking alcohol at a Charleston County boat landing, or breaking any of the other nine prohibitions in Sec. 14.5-4(a), draws the same penalty: a fine up to $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, or both. There is no separate lesser fine for the alcohol restriction; it is enforced identically to abandoning a trailer past 72 hours or discharging a firearm on the premises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink beer at a Charleston County boat landing?
Does this rule apply to parks and beaches too, not just boat landings?
What agency enforces the boat landing rules?
What other conduct is banned at the same boat landings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
Compare Charleston County to another location·View the South Carolina public conduct overview
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