Kootenai County, ID Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned at
- Hauser Park and BLM Mica Bay Boater's Park
- Covers
- Docks and any vessel moored there
- Violation class
- Infraction, each instance separate
- Adopted by
- Board resolution under § 6.2.116(A)
- Codified at
- Kootenai County Code § 6.2.122(B)(1)
- Other county facilities
- No blanket countywide ban
Summary
Kootenai County bans alcoholic beverages outright at two lakefront facilities: Hauser Park and the BLM Mica Bay Boater's Park, including on any vessel moored to their docks. The prohibition is a board-adopted resolution codified in the Parks and Waterways Ordinance, and a violation is an infraction, with each instance counted as a separate offense.
1. Prohibition Of Alcoholic Beverages: a. No alcoholic beverages shall be allowed at Hauser Park, including all facilities and docks therein, and no alcoholic beverages shall be consumed on any vessel while moored to said docks. b. No alcoholic beverages shall be allowed at BLM Mica Bay Boater's Park, including all facilities and docks therein, and no alcoholic beverages shall be consumed on any vessel while moored to said docks. ... 7. Penalty: Any violation of this section shall constitute an infraction. Each instance of any violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Code current through: Ord. 633, passed December 23, 2025).
Full Breakdown
116(A), to adopt by resolution 'reasonable rules and regulations governing the conduct of persons utilizing county facilities,' including prohibiting possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages at a specific facility. 122(B)(1): Hauser Park and the BLM Mica Bay Boater's Park. At both, no alcoholic beverages are allowed anywhere on the property, including all facilities and docks, and the ban extends onto any vessel moored to those docks, so anchoring offshore and drinking on a boat tied to the dock is still a violation. , and parking restrictions, but the alcohol ban itself is limited to the two named parks; the ordinance does not impose a countywide open-container law reaching every county boat launch, road or beach.
116(B). 122(B)(7), and each separate instance of drinking or possessing alcohol in violation counts as its own offense, so a group with multiple open containers can face multiple citations in a single visit.
Violations & Fines
Possessing or consuming alcohol at Hauser Park or the BLM Mica Bay Boater's Park, including aboard a vessel moored to either dock, is an infraction under section 6.2.122(B)(7). Each instance is treated as a separate offense, so multiple open containers or repeated drinking during one visit can generate multiple citations. Rangers and sheriff's deputies enforce the ban under the director's authority over county facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is drinking alcohol banned at every Kootenai County park?
Can I drink on my boat if it's tied to the dock at Hauser Park?
What happens if I'm caught with alcohol there?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kootenai County
Compare Kootenai County to another location·View the Idaho public conduct overview
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