Porterville, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Porterville Municipal Code § 18-6.1 makes it unlawful for any person in the City of Porterville to possess an open alcoholic beverage container in a public place, or to transport one on a public street, sidewalk, pedestrian mall, alleyway or thoroughfare once the seal is broken or contents partially removed. The same prohibition extends to any parking lot associated with a business open to the public that has immediate access to a public street, and to opened containers left within reach of the driver or passengers inside a parked vehicle, unless stowed in the trunk or another area not normally occupied by occupants; house cars and campers' living quarters are exempted.

"Alcoholic beverage" is defined to include any liquid or solid containing 0.5% or more alcohol by volume that is fit for beverage use. The ordinance carves the definition of "public place" so that it does not include Murry Park, Veterans' Park or Zalud Park, meaning the citywide open-container ban does not reach those three city parks. Every violation is specifically classified as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor. Subsection A may be waived through a permit issued by the chief of police to organized, well-established groups such as service clubs; an application must be filed with the chief of police at least twenty days before the event and must identify the sponsoring organization and its leadership so the department can arrange proper policing.

Separately, Chapter 15, Article II's Entertainment Zone provisions (§ 15-20H) allow limited possession and consumption of an open container of beer or wine, in city-approved cups of sixteen ounces or less, within the Downtown Main Street or Airport entertainment zones, but only during a City-approved entertainment zone event and only when purchased from an ABC-authorized seller.