Shasta County, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Covered area
- Shasta Dam, visitor areas, parking lots
- Event exception
- ABC permit plus Bureau of Reclamation OK
- Penalty
- Infraction only, no escalation
- Adopted
- Ordinance 90-6, 1990
Summary
Shasta County bans open containers and drinking alcohol at Shasta Dam, its visitor areas, and their parking lots between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. under Code Section 9.09.010. The ban lifts for a sponsored event that has both an alcoholic beverage control permit and authorization from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, and any violation is charged as an infraction.
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, it is unlawful for any person to possess an open alcoholic beverage container or consume any alcoholic beverage at the following locations between the hours of ten p.m. and six a.m.: 1. Shasta Dam; 2. All Shasta Dam visitor areas; 3. All Shasta Dam visitor area parking lots....B. This prohibition shall not apply during such times as sponsored events are taking place provided that the sponsor has:1. Obtained any necessary alcoholic beverage control permit for the event; and2. Obtained the authorization of the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, for the consumption of alcoholic beverages.C. A violation of this section is an infraction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
09 is a narrow, site-specific open-container law rather than a countywide public-drinking ban. 010, a map kept on file with the county clerk. window, the section does not restrict alcohol at the dam. Subsection (B) creates a two-part exception for sponsored events: the sponsor must first obtain any necessary alcoholic beverage control permit for the event, meaning state ABC licensing where required, and must separately obtain authorization from the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the dam and surrounding federal land, before alcohol can be served or consumed during the restricted hours. 010 is charged as an infraction, the least severe classification under the county code, rather than a misdemeanor even on repeat offenses.
Violations & Fines
Section 9.09.010(C) sets the penalty directly: any violation, whether for possessing an open container or consuming alcohol at Shasta Dam, its visitor areas, or their parking lots during the ten p.m. to six a.m. window, is charged as an infraction. Unlike many county offenses, the ordinance does not escalate to a misdemeanor for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink alcohol at Shasta Dam during the day?
How can an event legally serve alcohol at Shasta Dam?
What is the penalty for an open container at Shasta Dam at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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