Redlands, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Public street drinking ban
- City Code § 9.16.020
- "Intoxicating liquor" threshold
- Over 3.2% alcohol by weight
- Underage public consumption ban
- City Code § 9.30.030
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Original adoption
- Ord. 2193 (1992); prior code § 50000
Summary
Redlands makes it unlawful to drink or consume any intoxicating liquor on any public or private street, highway, road, alley or lane within the city under City Code section 9.16.020. A related provision, section 9.30.030, separately bars minors from consuming alcohol, marijuana or other controlled substances in any public place.
It is unlawful for any person within the city to drink or consume any intoxicating liquor upon any public street, highway, road, alley or lane, whether public or private within the city.
Full Breakdown
2 percent alcohol by weight that is not mixed with other drugs so as to prevent its use as a beverage. The public-street ban traces to Ordinance 2193 in 1992 and the city's prior code sections 50000 and 50002, meaning open-container enforcement on streets, alleys and roadways has been continuous city law for decades. 030 in the Social Host Liability chapter (Ordinance 2780, 2013) prohibits any minor from consuming an alcoholic beverage, marijuana, or other controlled substance in any public place or place open to the public, and from consuming alcohol at a private location unless supervised by a parent or legal guardian, except as permitted by state law. 060. 020's plain text is limited to streets, highways, roads, alleys and lanes.
Violations & Fines
Drinking on a public street violates section 9.16.020, which carries no penalty of its own, so it falls under the code's general penalty: section 1.20.010 makes "every act prohibited or declared unlawful" under the code "punishable as a misdemeanor," and section 1.20.020 caps that at six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, or lets the city attorney charge it as an infraction. A minor drinking in public under section 9.30.030 also exposes a hosting adult to civil fines from section 9.30.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink alcohol on a public street in Redlands?
Does the Redlands open-container ban cover parks?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redlands
California rules heatmap·Compare Redlands to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Public Alcohol Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle public alcohol use.