Longmont, CO Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine only, no jail
- Covered locations
- streets, sidewalks, alleys, school grounds
- Vehicle rule
- no open container in passenger compartment
- Wine exception
- resealed bottle under 750 ml, within 24 hrs
- Exempt premises
- licensed bars, restaurants, taverns, brew pubs
Summary
Longmont bans carrying or drinking an open container of beer, wine or liquor on any street, sidewalk, alley or other public place, inside a parked vehicle's passenger compartment, or on school grounds, except at a licensed bar or restaurant. Municipal Code § 10.16.110 caps the penalty at a fine only, up to $500, with no jail exposure.
A.Except upon premises holding valid licenses to sell or serve fermented malt or alcoholic beverages and except as provided in section 13.38.010, it is unlawful:1.To carry or possess any open container or containers of fermented malt or alcoholic beverage on any street, sidewalk, alley or other public place in the city, or in or upon any motor vehicle so located in the city, or on the grounds of any public or private school, college or university in the city;2.To consume any fermented malt or alcoholic beverage in or on any of the places in the city specified in this subsection;3.For the operator of a motor vehicle on a street, sidewalk, alley or other public place in the city to allow any open container of fermented malt or alcoholic beverage within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.B.It shall be an affirmative defense...that the defendant, within 24 hours after the original purchase, carried or possessed only one opened and resealed container of partially consumed vinous liquor, that did not originally contain more than 750 ml of vinous liquor...D.The court shall punish anyone convicted under this section by a fine only up to $500.00.
Full Breakdown
110(A) makes it unlawful to carry or possess an open container of fermented malt or alcoholic beverage on a city street, sidewalk, alley or other public place, on the grounds of any public or private school, college or university, or inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle located there; the same subsection separately bans actually consuming it in those places, and bars a vehicle operator from allowing an open container in the passenger compartment at all. 010. A narrow affirmative defense in subsection (B) covers a resealed, partially consumed bottle of wine: it must have originally held no more than 750 ml, be within 24 hours of purchase, come from a licensee that serves meals on-site (manufacturer, limited winery, beer-and-wine, hotel-and-restaurant, tavern, brew pub or vintner's restaurant licensees under subsection C), and the person must be carrying a dated purchase receipt and keep the bottle out of reach from the passenger compartment.
Subsection (D) sets the penalty: the municipal court may punish a conviction by a fine only, up to $500, with no term of imprisonment authorized under this specific section.
Violations & Fines
Longmont Police cite violators under § 10.16.110; the municipal court's authority is capped at a fine only, up to $500, since this section carries its own penalty rather than defaulting to the Title 1.12.010 general penalty (which allows up to 90 days in jail for offenses with no stated fine). The ban applies to the person drinking or holding the container and, separately, to the vehicle operator who lets an open container sit in the passenger compartment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I carry a resealed bottle of wine home from a restaurant in Longmont?
What's the penalty for an open container violation in Longmont?
Does the open container ban apply on private property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longmont
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Public Alcohol Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Boulder County handle public alcohol use.