Hendersonville, TN Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- What's banned
- Visible possession of unsealed alcohol on a public street
- Also banned
- Unsealed containers inside any government building
- Covers
- Liquor, spirits, wine above 8% alcohol by weight
- Excludes
- Beer and wine at 8% ABW or less (separate chapter)
- Fine
- Not more than $50 per violation
- Licensee penalty
- Mandatory 30-day license suspension
- Governing law
- Municipal Code Title 8, Ch. 1, §§ 8-121, 8-122
Summary
Hendersonville bans visible possession of alcoholic beverages in an unsealed container on any public street or inside any government building. The rule sits in the city's Intoxicating Liquors chapter and covers spirits, liquor and wine above 8% alcohol by weight, distinct from the lower-proof beer chapter next door.
8-121. - Violation and penalty. Any violation of the terms of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00); in such cases, suspension of said license by City Administrator for thirty (30) days shall be mandatory, and in the discretion of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen may be cause for revocation of said license. 8-122. - Visible possession prohibited. Visible possession of alcoholic beverages in unsealed container upon any public street or within any governmental building shall be a violation of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Hendersonville Municipal Code § 8-122, in Title 8, Chapter 1 (Intoxicating Liquors), states flatly: visible possession of an alcoholic beverage in an unsealed container on any public street or inside any governmental building is a chapter violation. The chapter's definition section, § 8-102, limits what counts as an "alcoholic beverage" here to alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine and any alcohol-containing liquid a person can drink, excluding patented medicine and excluding beer or wine at 8% alcohol by weight or less, which the city regulates separately under the Title 8, Chapter 2 beer ordinance and its own Beer Board.
Because § 8-122 is written to reach "any person" rather than only licensees, it applies on the street to anyone carrying an open container of hard liquor or higher-proof wine in plain view, not just to retailers or permit holders. 00), with a mandatory thirty (30)-day license suspension by the City Administrator and possible license revocation by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for licensees found in violation. For a person who holds no city alcohol license, the fine is the operative penalty. The chapter dates to Ord.
1972-39 (January 1973) and has not been separately amended at §§ 8-121 or 8-122 since original adoption, unlike the more recently updated licensing sections earlier in the same chapter.
Violations & Fines
Carrying an unsealed alcoholic beverage container in plain view on a public street or inside a government building violates § 8-122. Under § 8-121, the penalty for any violation of this chapter is a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00); a licensee found in violation additionally faces a mandatory thirty-day license suspension imposed by the City Administrator, with revocation possible at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I walk down the street in Hendersonville with an open liquor bottle?
Does the open container ban apply to a beer can?
What's the penalty for an open container violation in Hendersonville?
Is it legal to keep an open container inside a sealed bag in Hendersonville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hendersonville
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