Brooklyn Park, MN Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited locations
- Public streets, lots, property citywide
- Includes
- Drinking inside a parked or moving car
- Exception
- City Council designated picnic areas
- Penalty
- Up to 90 days jail, $1,000 fine
- Enforcement
- Brooklyn Park Police Department
Summary
Drinking intoxicating liquor or 3.2 percent malt liquor on Brooklyn Park's public streets, parking lots or other public property is illegal under § 112.047, and the ban extends to drinking inside a parked or moving vehicle anywhere on those same public areas. Police cite violators under the misdemeanor penalty in § 10.99 unless a City Council approved picnic area applies.
The drinking of intoxicating liquor and/or 3.2 percent malt liquor on the public streets, public parking lots, public property, or in other public areas within the city is prohibited except in designated picnic areas approved by the City Council. The drinking of intoxicating liquor and/or 3.2 percent malt liquor in automobiles, on the public streets, public parking lots, or other public property within the city is prohibited.
Full Breakdown
2 percent malt liquor on a public street, in a public parking lot, on other public property, or in any other public area within the city. The only carve-out is a picnic area the City Council has specifically designated for that purpose; absent that designation, the ban is citywide and covers parks, sidewalks, city-owned lots and rights-of-way alike. 2 percent malt liquor inside an automobile whenever that vehicle is on a public street, public parking lot or other public property, so a driver or passenger cannot sidestep the rule simply by staying inside a parked car.
043, which bars consuming intoxicating liquor on a public highway or in an automobile even where the liquor came from a licensed on-sale bar, and requires on-sale liquor to be served and consumed at tables, counters or bars with seating rather than carried out. 99: up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately. The section traces to Ordinance 1979-295, amended by Ordinance 1997-841, and sits within Chapter 112's regulation of intoxicating liquor licensing and sales citywide.
Violations & Fines
An open-container citation under § 112.047 is a misdemeanor under § 10.99, exposing the violator to up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, or both, plus court costs. Police may instead issue it as an administrative citation with a civil penalty capped at $2,000 under § 37.03, and violations tied to a licensed premises can trigger revocation, suspension or denial of that establishment's liquor license under § 112.044.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink alcohol in a city park in Brooklyn Park?
Is it illegal to drink in a parked car in Brooklyn Park?
What happens if I'm caught drinking in public in Brooklyn Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brooklyn Park
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Public Alcohol Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle public alcohol use.