Sauk County, WI Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- opened alcohol containers on ATV/UTV
- Where
- designated county trunk highway routes only
- Penalty
- $50-$500 forfeiture per offense
- Enforcement
- any officer under Wis. Stats. § 23.33(12)
- General public alcohol
- no county-wide open-container ordinance
Summary
Sauk County has no general open-container law for parks or streets; the closest rule is Sauk County Code Sec. 15.008(3)(i), which bars an ATV or UTV operator or passenger from having an opened alcohol container aboard the vehicle on any county trunk highway.
(i)No operator or passenger of an ATV or UTV may possess, in or on an ATV or UTV on any County trunk highway, any bottle or receptacle containing alcohol beverages if the bottle or receptacle has been opened, the seal has been broken or the contents of the bottle or receptacle have been partially removed or released. ... (1)Any person who violates any section of this chapter or statutes adopted by reference, other than a violation under Section 15.010(3) of this chapter, shall pay a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense, as established in Sauk County Code Chapter 20. Said forfeiture is exclusive of mandatory assessments and costs.
Full Breakdown
Sauk County's public-alcohol rule is narrow and vehicle-specific rather than a general open-container ordinance. Sec. 15.008(3)(i), part of Chapter 15's ATV/UTV trail-crossing rules, bars an operator or passenger from possessing a bottle or receptacle containing alcohol beverages aboard an ATV or UTV on a designated county trunk highway route once the container has been opened, its seal broken, or its contents partially removed or released; a sealed, unopened container is not covered. The rule sits inside a chapter that adopts most of Wisconsin's ATV/UTV statutes, Wis.
Stats. chs. 23, 340 to 348 and 350, and Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 64, by reference under Sec. 15.002(1), and it applies only to a county trunk highway that the Sauk County Highway Committee and Board of Supervisors have designated as an ATV/UTV route under Sec. 15.003. Riders must otherwise stay in single file on the extreme right of the paved roadway, keep to 45 miles per hour, run headlights, taillights and brake lights, and display their route license on demand from a law enforcement or conservation officer, under the rest of Sec. 15.008(3). Enforcement falls to any law enforcement official authorized under Wis. Stats. Section 23.33(12), per Sec. 15.009.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the open-container rule in Sec. 15.008(3)(i), like other Sec. 15.008 violations besides the off-route penalty in Sec. 15.010(3), draws a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense under Sec. 15.010(1), on top of mandatory state assessments and costs, and a court can also order restitution for any related damage under Sec. 15.010(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a sealed beer while riding my ATV on a Sauk County route?
Does Sauk County ban drinking in public parks generally?
What is the fine for an open container on an ATV route?
Who enforces the ATV open-container rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sauk County
Compare Sauk County to another location·View the Wisconsin public conduct overview
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