Durham County, NC Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Chapter 3, Article II of the Durham County Code governs alcohol on county property. Section 3-31(a) makes it unlawful to consume or possess an open container of wine, malt beverages, spiritous liquors or other alcoholic beverages, or to offer one to another person, anywhere on the premises of county-owned or controlled property, a term the code defines to reach streets, drives and parking areas connected to buildings, parking lots, recreational areas and Durham County Memorial Stadium. Section 3-31(b) separately bars anyone from entering a county facility for an event while carrying alcoholic beverages, unless a special concession or brown-bagging permit has been issued by the state ABC system.

Section 3-31(c) makes it unlawful to discard or deposit any alcoholic beverage container in a public place, on a public street, or on another's private premises without the owner's permission. Alcoholic beverages is defined in Sec. 3-30 to mean any beverage at least one-half of one percent alcohol by volume, covering malt beverages, fortified and unfortified wine, spirituous liquor and mixed beverages. The article does allow the county itself to sell or serve alcohol on county property when it complies with state ABC law (Sec.

3-32), and permits alcohol service on specific designated properties, such as the Admin. II ground-floor meeting rooms, library branches, the Durham Center for Senior Life, and the stadium under stadium-authority rules, or under a qualifying lease or event agreement (Sec. 3-33).