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

Chapter 7.22, adopted under California Penal Code § 647e, regulates possession and consumption of alcohol citywide. Section 7.22.160(A) makes it a misdemeanor to consume alcohol at or on any public street, sidewalk, alley or public property unless the City has authorized a special event, carving out Santee Lakes Regional Park, most Santee city parks, Mission Trails Regional Park, and Buildings 7 and 8 of the Santee Civic Center as always-open places to drink. Two named parks get their own carve-back rules: subsection B limits drinking at Mast Park to weekends, defined as 12:00 a.m.

Saturday through 12:00 a.m. Monday, plus holidays and permitted events, and subsection C applies the identical weekend-and-permit window to Town Center Community Park. Subsection D separately bans drinking in a posted parking lot or on public sidewalks immediately adjacent to any retail off-sale liquor licensee. A companion section, § 7.22.120, bans mere possession of an open container in the same public places on an infraction basis, and § 7.22.130 extends the open-container ban to posted premises next to off-sale liquor stores, including their sidewalks and parking lots, if the store posts the required sign quoting Penal Code § 647e(a).

Section 7.22.140 separately bars consuming alcohol at a hotel, motel or lodging house outside individual guest rooms unless permitted under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.