Salt Lake County, UT Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- parks owned or operated by the county
- Bans
- both possession and consumption of alcohol
- Exception
- mayor's express written approval only
- Penalty
- infraction under general rule §1.12.010
- Alcoholic beverage
- means beer or liquor per §6.10.010
- City parks
- governed by each city's own code, not this section
Summary
Possessing or drinking any alcoholic beverage on the grounds of a Salt Lake County-owned or -operated park is unlawful under Code §6.10.190, with no exception unless the county mayor gives express written approval in advance. The rule applies to county parks in the unincorporated area, not to city parks run by valley municipalities.
6.10.010 - Definitions. "Alcoholic beverages" means and includes beer and liquor, as they are defined herein. ... 6.10.190 - County park restrictions. It is unlawful for any person to possess or consume alcoholic beverages upon the premises of any park owned or operated by the county, except upon the express written approval of the mayor. ... 1.12.010 - Penalty for violation of code provisions. A.When no other penalty is prescribed, any person convicted of violating any provision or provisions of an ordinance included in this Salt Lake County code of ordinances shall be deemed guilty of an infraction, and punished therefor in accordance with state statute.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
010. 190 then bars any person from possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages on the premises of any park owned or operated by the county, the only escape valve being the mayor's express written approval, which in practice covers things like a permitted event where alcohol service has been separately authorized. 200's ban on consuming liquor in any unlicensed place of business, showing the chapter's general approach of tightly restricting where and how alcohol can be consumed outside a licensed setting. 010: when no other penalty is prescribed, a person convicted of violating a county ordinance is guilty of an infraction and punished according to the state statute governing infractions.
Because the restriction is keyed to parks the county itself owns or operates, it only reaches the unincorporated area's park system; the cities carved out of the valley, including Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Sandy, Murray and the rest, enforce their own municipal park rules on their own park land.
Violations & Fines
Drinking or possessing alcohol in a county park without the mayor's prior written approval violates §6.10.190. Because the chapter doesn't set its own criminal class for this section, the default penalty rule in §1.12.010 applies: the violation is treated as an infraction and punished under the state statute's infraction schedule, enforced through citations issued by law enforcement patrolling county park property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a beer at a Salt Lake County park?
Is there any way to get permission to serve alcohol at a county park event?
What's the penalty for drinking alcohol in a Salt Lake County park?
Does this county alcohol ban apply to parks in Salt Lake City or other valley cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah public conduct overview
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