Shreveport, LA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 10-190
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 60 days jail
- Exception zone
- Red River District (Ord. No. 179, 2023)
- Approved cup limit
- 16 fl. oz., non-glass, logo cup
- No-sale hours in district
- 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Summary
Shreveport Code § 10-190 bans drinking or carrying an open alcoholic beverage on any public street or sidewalk, in a business parking lot, or in public view outside an enclosed structure, anywhere in the city. The one carve-out is the mapped Red River District, where patrons may carry drinks in an approved 16-ounce logo cup under strict hours and container rules.
(a)Drinking in public, open container—Prohibited in general. Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful to consume alcoholic beverages in public of high or low alcoholic content within the city limits in or on any of the following areas:(1)On any public street or sidewalk;(2)On any property zoned so as to permit only packaged alcoholic beverage sales for off premises consumption;(3)On the parking lot of a business or on other property of a business where said property is open to the public;(4)Within the view of the public outside of an enclosed structure on any public or private property, except that this subsection shall not apply to the owner or resident of the property, or the invited guests of the owner or resident when the owner or resident is present.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-190(a) prohibits consuming alcohol of any strength in public within Shreveport city limits in four settings: on any public street or sidewalk; on property zoned for off-premises package sales only; in a business parking lot or other property open to the public; and within public view outside an enclosed structure, unless the drinker is the property owner, resident, or their invited guest with the owner present. Subsection (b) carves out narrow exceptions: consumption authorized by a state or local special-event permit, a city council resolution or ordinance, or a Zoning Board of Appeals action; drinks bought from a lawfully permitted business on the banks or waters of a navigable waterway; and drinking on the banks or waters of Cross Lake.
The most detailed carve-out covers the Red River District, mapped in Exhibit A to Ord. No. 179 of 2023. , patrons cannot drink in parking areas, and anyone leaving a licensed premises must carry the drink in a non-glass container of 16 fluid ounces or less bearing that establishment's name or logo and pre-approved by the Shreveport Police Department. Reusing an approved cup, drinking from an ice chest or vehicle, or using a tent, truck, or RV to serve or consume alcohol in the district are all separately banned.
The section has been amended across six ordinances since 2002, most recently Ord. No. 179, 2023 (adopted January 23, 2024), which added the Red River District overlay.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-190 sets no fine of its own, so a violation defaults to the Code's general penalty, § 1-14: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense. Shreveport Police cite open-container violations on sight; inside the Red River District, a permittee that lets a customer leave with an unapproved cup risks the same general penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink on the sidewalk anywhere in Shreveport?
What is the Red River District exception?
Can I drink on my own porch or yard?
Can I bring my own cooler of beer to the Red River District?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shreveport
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