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

The core rule in the City of Burien is Burien Municipal Code § 9.15.200(1). Except as permitted by RCW Title 66, no person shall open a package containing liquor, possess an open container of liquor, or consume liquor in a public place. Three separate acts are covered, so breaking the seal on a bottle in public counts even before anyone drinks.

The vehicle carve-out is narrow. Containers kept in the trunk are outside the rule. If the vehicle has no trunk, containers are exempt only when kept in some other area of the vehicle not normally occupied by the driver or passengers. The code then adds that a utility compartment or glove compartment is deemed to be within the area occupied by the driver and passengers, so liquor stored there does not qualify for the exception.

Subsection (2) creates a community event exception. An organization that wants to offer alcohol for sale and consumption in a public place must request authorization in writing from the city manager and identify the particular community event or events. The request must be made no later than 30 days before the first event. The sponsor must meet state law on liquor permits and the requirements of the chapter, and the state liquor permit must be displayed within the area during the event. The code defines a community event as a fair, market, or festival held on public property where the public at large is invited, and names the Farmers Market, the Strawberry Festival, Octoberfest, and the Fourth of July Festival. The city manager can specify special conditions of use and note them on the authorization.

Burien city parks carry a stricter rule of their own. BMC 7.30.340 bars possessing any alcoholic beverage or liquor in a city park area, including unopened beverage containers, except in designated areas approved by the director or designee. BMC 7.30.350 separately prohibits being in a city park, recreation area, or associated marine area while intoxicated.

Chapter 9.15 also adopts a list of RCW Title 66 sections by reference, including RCW 66.44.270 on furnishing liquor to minors, so state alcohol law is enforced alongside the city's open container rule.