Boca Raton, FL Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Section 4-4 of Chapter 4 makes public consumption of alcoholic beverages above 1 percent alcohol by volume unlawful in a broad list of locations: public streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, parks, beaches, the outdoor premises of any retail establishment whose main use is alcohol sales, and any business, industrial, public or institutional parking lot or sidewalk where the public has a right to travel. The only carve-out is Section 4-5, which lets the city manager issue a special-event permit allowing a not-for-profit organization to sell, possess and consume beer and wine, but no other alcohol, at a public event, no more than once a year unless the city council authorizes additional events.

To qualify, the event must be open to the public, the organization must hold a state one-day permit from the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, carry liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, hold current state nonprofit certification, submit its permit request at least 30 days before the event, and bar glass containers. The city manager weighs factors like anticipated attendance, age of attendees, timing and impact on the public place before issuing the permit, and city council can reverse or amend that decision.

Chapter 4 also defines 'alcoholic beverage establishment' by state license type (4COP or 14BC, but not SRX) in Section 4-1, which determines which businesses the outdoor-consumption ban reaches.