Bothell, WA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Bothell Municipal Code § 8.60.380 states that alcoholic beverages shall be prohibited and penalized as provided in BMC 9.03.020, except as provided in BMC 8.60.381. The next section, § 8.60.381, creates the only carve-out: the parks and recreation director or the director's designee can issue permits and set rules for sale and or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Lytle House only, and only to businesses, groups or individuals subject to the rules and regulations of the Washington State Liquor Control Board or any successor state agency or authority. Nothing in those two sections opens any other park, field or shelter to alcohol.

The definition is broad. BMC 8.60.020(B) says alcoholic beverages or liquor includes the four varieties of liquor defined as alcohol, spirits, wine and beer, all fermented, spirituous, vinous, or malt liquor, and all other intoxicating beverages. Any liquor, semisolid, solid or other substance that contains more than one percent alcohol by weight is conclusively deemed to be intoxicating. The rule applies in any "Bothell park," meaning any area under the ownership, management, or control of the city of Bothell parks and recreation department under BMC 8.60.020(D).

One point about the text itself: the cross-reference printed in § 8.60.380 points to BMC 9.03.020, which in the code is headed "Disruption of government offices" and does not mention liquor. The penalty that clearly attaches to chapter 8.60 is BMC 8.60.400, under which violating any rule in the chapter is a misdemeanor punished by a fine not to exceed $5,000. Enforcement follows BMC 8.60.390: the Bothell Police Department and the parks and recreation department both oversee park safety, citations come only from commissioned personnel, and parks staff trained under that section issue warning citations only.