California Business and Professions Code section 25620 and Santa Ana's public-conduct rules prohibit open containers of alcohol on streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and in city parks unless an event permit authorizes it.
It is unlawful in Santa Ana to drink alcohol or possess an open container on any public street, sidewalk, alley, parking lot, or in a city park, regardless of intoxication level. California Business and Professions Code section 25620 backs the ordinance statewide. Authorized exceptions include licensed special events, ABC-permitted outdoor dining areas, and properly noticed parklets. Vehicle Code section 23222 covers open containers inside cars. Penalties begin as infractions but escalate to misdemeanors when combined with public intoxication under Penal Code section 647(f) or sales to minors.
Drinking on a sidewalk, carrying an open beer through a parking lot, or possessing an open container inside a parked vehicle each trigger citation and confiscation.
See how other cities in Orange County handle public alcohol use.
See how Santa Ana's public alcohol use rules stack up against other locations.
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