Ouachita Parish, LA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 2-27(11)
- Applies to
- Licensed premises' sidewalk/curb/street
- Max fine
- $500 (§ 2-28)
- Max jail term
- 6 months
- License consequence
- Suspension or revocation
- Jurisdiction
- Unincorporated parish only
Summary
In unincorporated Ouachita Parish, licensed alcohol dealers may not sell alcoholic beverages for consumption, or allow patrons to drink, on the sidewalk, street curb, or street adjacent to the licensed premises. Section 2-27(11) makes this one of thirteen unlawful acts tied to every dealer's permit, backed by misdemeanor penalties and permit revocation under Section 2-28.
Sell or permit the sale or consumption of any of the alcoholic beverages described in section 2-1 hereof, on the sidewalk, street curb or street adjacent to the premises for which the permit or license is issued.
Full Breakdown
Ouachita Parish Code of Ordinances Section 2-27 lists acts every alcohol permit holder in the unincorporated parish is forbidden to do or permit on or about the licensed premises. Subsection (11) specifically bars a dealer from selling or permitting the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages on the sidewalk, street curb or street adjacent to the licensed premises. The prohibition runs with the license: it binds not just the permit holder but any agent, associate, employee, representative or servant acting on the premises, so a bartender who lets customers carry drinks onto the sidewalk exposes the business, not just the drinker, to enforcement.
m. Monday, showing the parish treats curbside service as part of the same public-order scheme as after-hours sales. Because the ordinance sits in Chapter 2, the parish's dealer-licensing chapter, it reaches licensed bars, package stores, and restaurants operating in the unincorporated parish; it does not create a general public-intoxication or open-container offense for individuals drinking on parish sidewalks away from a licensed premises, and it does not reach Monroe, West Monroe, or Sterlington, which enforce their own municipal alcohol codes. Enforcement runs through the police jury's licensing authority, which issues and can revoke the permits referenced throughout the chapter.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 2-27 is a misdemeanor under Section 2-28(a), punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, at the court's discretion. Section 2-28(b) makes any conviction grounds for the police jury to suspend or revoke the violator's alcohol permit, and treats a conviction of the licensee's agent, associate, employee or servant as the licensee's own conviction for suspension or revocation purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink alcohol on the sidewalk outside a bar in unincorporated Ouachita Parish?
What happens if a licensee is caught allowing curbside drinking?
Does this ordinance cover Monroe or West Monroe too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ouachita Parish
Compare Ouachita Parish to another location·View the Louisiana public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.