Contra Costa County, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Drinking/carrying open alcohol container in public
- Covers
- Streets, sidewalks, parks, public/open parking lots
- Private-property reach
- Within 15 ft of public way if visible
- Penalty
- Infraction under §14-8.002
- Exception
- County-permitted events (§54-16.006)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Contra Costa County only
Summary
No one may drink, exhibit, or carry an open container of alcohol on any street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot or other public place in unincorporated Contra Costa County, or within 15 feet of a public way while on a private driveway or stairway open to public view. Violating Chapter 54-16 is an infraction enforced by the sheriff's office.
(a)No person shall consume, drink, exhibit or possess an open container of any alcoholic beverage in any quantity on any public street, avenue, boulevard, sidewalk, way, alley, thoroughfare, public parking lot or private parking lot open to the public, park, playground, or other public facility within the unincorporated area of the county of Contra Costa.(b)No person shall consume, drink, exhibit or possess an open container of any alcoholic beverage within fifteen feet of any public way or thoroughfare while on a private driveway, stairway, doorway, or other private property open to public view without the express or implied permission of the owner, the owner's agent, or the person in lawful possession thereof except as provided in Section 54-16.006.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 54-16, adopted by Ordinance No. 86-91 and amended by Ordinance No. 2024-23, bans two overlapping things. 002(a) makes it unlawful to 'consume, drink, exhibit or possess an open container of any alcoholic beverage in any quantity' on any public street, avenue, boulevard, sidewalk, way, alley, thoroughfare, public parking lot, private parking lot open to the public, park, playground, or other public facility in the unincorporated county. 002(b) extends the ban to private property open to public view, driveways, stairways, doorways, within 15 feet of a public way, unless the property owner or person in lawful possession permits it.
004 as a bottle, can or other receptacle that is open, has been opened, or has had its seal broken or contents partially removed, so a resealed but previously opened container still counts. 006 carves out an exception for county-permitted events: if the sheriff or another designated county agency has issued a permit for temporary use of a public street, park or facility for alcohol consumption, the ban does not apply during that permitted activity. This is a broader, separate ordinance from Chapter 54-14, which only restricts open containers on the posted premises of an off-sale liquor store and its adjacent sidewalk or lot; Chapter 54-16 reaches the general public realm countywide.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 54-16 is an infraction, punished under Section 14-8.002 of the Ordinance Code, per Section 54-16.008. Deputies can cite a person on the spot for drinking, exhibiting, or simply carrying an open container in a covered public area; no prior warning is required, unlike the county's juvenile curfew law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a beer on the sidewalk in unincorporated Contra Costa County?
Does the open container law reach onto private property?
Is drinking alcohol ever allowed on county streets or in parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
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