Carteret County, NC Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Section 11-1(a) of the Carteret County Code makes it 'unlawful for any person to possess, display or consume alcoholic beverages of any kind, including but not limited to, whiskey, liquor, beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages while on any county property used as a park or recreational area located within the county.' The ban was adopted under the county's general ordinance-making power, G.S. 153A-121, and its authority to regulate places of amusement, G.S. 153A-135, and it applies countywide to any county-owned park or recreation site in the unincorporated area, not just a single facility.

Because § 11-1 does not carve out its own fine, § 11-1(b) sends violators to the Code's general penalty provision, § 1-6(a), which covers any offense with no specific penalty written into its own section. This is a blanket prohibition rather than a permit or hours-based restriction: there is no carve-out in § 11-1 for special event permits, cookouts or private rentals of county recreation facilities, so anyone bringing beer or wine to a county park, boat ramp or recreation area risks a citation regardless of the time of day or the size of the gathering.