Santa Cruz County, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

02 bans drinking in the unincorporated area. 160 applies), on any public street, public way, or sidewalk, or in any outdoor place the general public can access, including beaches, entrance ways, alcoves, and parking lots adjacent to streets, whether publicly or privately owned. 025, bars drinking inside or on any county-owned or county-controlled building, facility, or grounds, but exempts buildings whose primary purpose is residential, facilities under a lease of 50 years or more, and licensed residential care facilities. The Director of the Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services can issue a permit letting an event serve beer, wine, or sparkling wine at a county facility, conditioned on ABC licensing proof, a cleanup and damages deposit, and liability insurance naming the County as an additional insured when an entrance fee is charged.

025. The Board of Supervisors can carve out posted exceptions to the drinking ban by resolution, and public school property is instead governed by California Business and Professions Code § 25608, not this chapter. 010 as any liquid fit for beverage purposes containing more than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume, which sweeps in beer, wine, and spirits alike.