Conroe, TX Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Section 18-35 of the Conroe Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance No. 2265-15 on August 27, 2015, prohibits possessing an open container of an alcoholic beverage or publicly consuming one in any outdoor area of the Central Business District. The district runs along Frazier Street from Hicks Street north to Phillips Street, east on Phillips to San Jacinto Street, north on San Jacinto to Cochran Street, east on Cochran to Main Street, south on Main to Phillips, east on Phillips to Pacific Street, south on Pacific to Hicks, then back to Frazier, and is mapped on an exhibit kept in the city clerk's office.

The rule targets sidewalks, streets, parking lots and other outdoor spaces downtown, not indoor bars or restaurants. Three carve-outs keep it workable: drinking inside a motor vehicle, building or residence is untouched; premises holding a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission license or permit authorizing outdoor consumption are exempt; and the city council can authorize public drinking on a sidewalk, street or in a park for a specific concert, festival or event, which is how Conroe's downtown festivals legally serve alcohol outdoors. Because Section 18-35 sets no unique fine, a violation defaults to the Code's general penalty in Section 1-13, capping the fine at $500 per offense with each occurrence charged separately. The ordinance sits within Chapter 18's alcoholic beverages article, alongside the city's 300-foot separation rule for alcohol sales near churches, schools and hospitals.