Blaine, MN Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 6-4
- Covered locations
- Parks, streets, sidewalks, lots, alleys
- Exception
- Licensed liquor establishment premises only
- Max fine (general penalty)
- $1,000.00 or 90 days, or both
- Petty misdemeanor cap
- $300.00 fine
Summary
The City of Blaine bans drinking intoxicating liquor or 3.2 percent malt liquor in any public park, street, sidewalk, parking lot, or alley, or any other public place, unless you are on the premises of a liquor-licensed establishment. City Code § 6-4 draws no exceptions for special events or private gatherings on public land.
No person shall consume intoxicating liquor or 3.2 percent malt liquor in a public park, on any public street, sidewalk, parking lot or alley, or in any public place other than on the premises of an establishment licensed under this article. ... No person shall mix or prepare liquor for consumption in any public place or business unless it has a license to sell on-sale, and no person shall consume liquor in any such place.
Full Breakdown
Section 6-4 of the Blaine City Code, 'Consumption in public places,' prohibits any person from consuming intoxicating liquor or 3.2 percent malt liquor in a public park, on any public street, sidewalk, parking lot, or alley, or in any other public place, unless that place is the licensed premises of an establishment holding a liquor license under Chapter 6. Section 6-73 backs this up on the commercial side: no person may mix or prepare liquor for consumption in any public place or business unless that business holds an on-sale license, and no one may consume liquor in such an unlicensed place.
Chapter 6 as a whole adopts Minnesota Statutes chapter 340A by reference under § 6-1, and § 6-2 confirms the council may impose restrictions on possession, sale, and consumption that go beyond the state chapter. Because Blaine's liquor code does not carve out a National Sports Center event exception, a TPC Twin Cities tailgate lot, or a Lexington Avenue block party from § 6-4, open containers at those locations are only lawful inside a licensed beer garden or similar licensed area set up for the event.
The Blaine Police Department enforces the alcoholic-beverages chapter alongside the city's liquor licensing staff, and a violation of any chapter 6 provision also exposes a liquor licensee to license suspension, revocation, or civil penalty under § 6-40 if the conduct occurred on licensed premises they control.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 6-4 falls under the Code's general penalty in § 1-7: a fine of up to $1,000.00, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, unless the offense is declared a petty misdemeanor, which caps the fine at $300.00. A convicted violator also pays the costs of prosecution, and each day a continuing violation persists counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a beer at a Blaine park or on the street?
Is there an exception for events at the National Sports Center or TPC Twin Cities?
What is the penalty for public drinking in Blaine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Blaine
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