Corvallis, OR Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Corvallis' open container law sits in Chapter 5.03.040, the city's alcohol and drug offenses chapter, first adopted by Ordinance 82-77 Section 103.01 in 1982 and most recently amended by Ordinance 2020-17, Section 28 (Exhibit A), September 21, 2020. Section 5.03.040.010.06 prohibits drinking any alcoholic liquor, or simply possessing an open container of it, in or upon any street, alley, public grounds, building, or other place open and available to the general public, and extends the ban to a motor vehicle on premises open to the public.

'Alcoholic liquor' is defined in Section 5.03.040.010.01 as any beverage containing more than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume. The statute allows an exception 'as otherwise allowed by law,' covering situations such as a permitted special event with an OLCC license to serve on a closed street. A violation is a Class C Misdemeanor, the most serious offense tier used in this part of Title 5. Under the companion provision at Section 5.03.040.010.07, when an officer arrests someone for violating the open container law, the officer may seize all alcoholic liquor the person possesses or that is present on the premises and apparently being used in violation of the section; if the person is convicted, the Municipal Court can order the liquor forfeited under ORS 471.610. The Corvallis Police Department enforces the ban citywide, including downtown and the riverfront, and cases are heard in Corvallis Municipal Court.