Huntington Park, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Chapter 3 of Title 5 of the Huntington Park Municipal Code, Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages, has two sections. Section 5-3.01 makes it unlawful to drink or offer to another for immediate consumption any alcoholic liquor or beverage upon any public street, sidewalk, lane, or alley within the City of Huntington Park, or in any automobile, vehicle, or conveyance operated upon or parked upon any public street, sidewalk, lane, thoroughfare, or alley. The same section reaches the grounds or buildings of any premises being used at the time as a stadium, theater, carnival, music hall, lecture hall, playing field, or similar place of public assemblage. For those places the verbs widen to drink, possess, exhibit, or offer, so simply holding a drink there violates the section.

Section 5-3.02 targets the area around package stores. No person who has any bottle, can or other receptacle containing alcohol that has been opened, has a broken seal, or has had contents partially removed shall enter, be, or remain on the posted premises of a retail package off-sale alcoholic beverage licensee licensed under Division 9 of the Business and Professions Code. That covers the posted parking lot immediately adjacent to the store and the public sidewalk immediately adjacent to the licensed and posted premises. Under subsection (b), posted premises are those where clearly visible notices tell patrons, lot users and people on the sidewalk that the rule applies, and subsection (c) requires all such premises to be posted in compliance with the stated posting requirements. A private residential parking lot immediately adjacent to the posted premises is excluded under subsection (d).

The two sections work differently. Section 5-3.01 applies on every public street, sidewalk, lane and alley in the City whether or not any sign is posted, while the sidewalk and lot restriction in § 5-3.02 depends on the notices. Section 5-3.01 was adopted as Ord. 936 and amended by Ord. 392-NS effective December 12, 1985, and § 5-3.02 was added by Ord. 609-NS effective January 6, 1999.