Farmington Hills, MI Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 19-49
- What's banned
- Bringing, possessing, or consuming alcoholic liquor
- Where
- Any public park in the city
- Open container exception
- None stated in the text
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail (§ 1-13)
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. C-4-88, 1988
Summary
Farmington Hills bans bringing, possessing, or drinking alcoholic liquor anywhere in a city park under City Code § 19-49. The prohibition covers every public park in the city with no stated exception, and it sits alongside the city's broader liquor control ordinances in Chapter 4. Violations are enforced by park rangers and police.
No person shall bring into, possess or consume alcoholic liquors in any public park.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 19-49, part of the parks and recreation chapter's rules-of-conduct article, states flatly that no person shall bring into, possess or consume alcoholic liquors in any public park. The section carries no carve-out for beer, wine, or any other category of alcoholic liquor, and it does not distinguish between open and closed containers: possession alone is enough to violate the rule, whether or not the container has been opened. The ban applies citywide to every park operated by the City of Farmington Hills, including neighborhood parks, Founders Sports Park, Pioneer Park, and the William Grace City Dog Park, and it operates independently of any special event or facility approval issued under § 19-64.
The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 1 et seq. 00, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense. Park rangers and Farmington Hills police officers who encounter alcohol in a park may confiscate it and issue a citation on the spot.
Violations & Fines
Possessing or drinking alcoholic liquor in any Farmington Hills park violates § 19-49 regardless of whether the container is open, and no exception exists for private parties or reserved shelters. Because the parks chapter sets no separate fine schedule, the offense defaults to the Code's general penalty in § 1-13: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with continuing violations charged per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring beer to a birthday party at a Farmington Hills park pavilion?
Does the Farmington Hills park alcohol rule cover unopened bottles?
What is the fine for drinking alcohol in a Farmington Hills park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Farmington Hills
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