Indianapolis prohibits open containers of alcohol in public places — sidewalks, parks, vehicles, and parking lots — under Revised Code Ch. 407 and Indiana IC 7.1-5-1-3. Designated entertainment districts and licensed special events allow exceptions.
Indiana Code 7.1-5-1-3 prohibits public consumption of alcoholic beverages, and Indianapolis Revised Code Ch. 407 echoes this prohibition. Open containers are banned on sidewalks, parks (except licensed festivals), parking lots, and inside vehicles even when parked. The 2015 designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) statute (IC 7.1-3-31) allows specific entertainment districts to permit open containers within marked boundaries — Indianapolis uses this for events like Indy 500 fan zones and the Yard at Bottleworks. Special-event permits also allow controlled outdoor consumption. Penalties include a Class C infraction with fines up to $500.
Carrying an open beer down Mass Ave outside a DORA, drinking in a parked car, or possessing alcohol in a non-permitted park area. Class C infractions with fines and possible secondary charges if intoxicated.
See how Indianapolis's public alcohol use rules stack up against other locations.
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