Boone County, KY Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

07 makes it unlawful to sell, possess or consume alcoholic beverages anywhere in a Boone County park or Parks Department facility, except under a special event permit approved by the County Administrator. The permit system is narrow: only a licensed vendor holding a valid Boone County occupational license and a Kentucky liquor license may apply, and even a permitted vendor may operate only at three named parks, England-Idlewild, Boone Woods and Central Park, and only in conjunction with a shelter rental or an event co-sponsored by the Parks Department.

Purchasers must be checked for legal drinking age and given an identifying band, and consumption is confined to a designated area rather than the park generally. To get a permit, the vendor applies to the Director of Parks, pays a $25 application fee, proves a valid liquor license, and provides a $1 million liability insurance certificate naming Boone County Fiscal Court as an additional insured with a waiver of subrogation. The Director of Parks and the law-enforcement agency, either the Boone County Sheriff or the Florence Police Department, must both approve the application, and the permit holder pays for the special-duty law-enforcement officers required at the event.

Permits are available only for events open to the public and occurring during posted park hours. The permit process was amended by Ordinance 2024-10, passed April 23, 2024, updating the original park rules ordinance from 2000.