Des Moines, IA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 70-123
- Where banned
- streets, sidewalks, highways
- Parade exception
- wine/beer on sidewalk, parade route
- Closed-street exception
- wine/beer during council-ordered closure
- Penalty basis
- misdemeanor, general penalty § 1-15
Summary
Des Moines bans drinking alcoholic liquor, wine or beer on public streets, sidewalks or highways, with a narrow carve-out for wine or beer along an active parade route or a street closed by the city council.
A person shall not use or consume alcoholic liquor, wine or beer upon the public streets, sidewalks or highways, except this prohibition shall not apply to the consumption of wine or beer on a sidewalk along a bona fide parade route while a parade is in progress or along any street, sidewalk or highway which has been temporarily closed by action of the city council during the period of temporary closure.
(C42, § 106-10; C54, C62, § 32-27; O.7316, 8895; C75, C79, C85, § 17-40; O.11,128; C91, § 17-40)
Cross reference— Alcoholic beverages, ch. 10.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 70-123 makes it unlawful to use or consume alcoholic liquor, wine or beer on public streets, sidewalks or highways anywhere in Des Moines. The only exceptions are wine or beer consumed on a sidewalk along a bona fide parade route while the parade is underway, or on a street, sidewalk or highway the city council has temporarily closed, for as long as that closure lasts. Outside those two situations, open containers and public drinking are prohibited citywide, not just downtown.
Violations & Fines
No specific penalty is set in § 70-123, so it falls under the Code's general penalty, § 1-15: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine capped at the amount set in Iowa Code § 903.1(1)(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I carry an open beer while walking downtown Des Moines?
Does the parade exception cover liquor or just beer and wine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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