Sonoma, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Sections
- SMC §§ 9.36.020, 9.36.040
- Restricted hours
- Sunset to 11:30 a.m.
- Drinking violation
- Misdemeanor, § 9.36.050
- Open-container violation
- Infraction, up to $100.00
- Field of Dreams Park
- No alcohol without event authorization
- Revised
- Ordinance 08-2004; Ord. 05-2020 added park rule
Summary
The City of Sonoma bans drinking alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, parks and other public places between sunset and 11:30 a.m., and bans carrying an open alcohol container in those places during those hours, under Sonoma Municipal Code §§ 9.36.020 and 9.36.040.
A. Except as otherwise stated by this section, it is unlawful for any person to drink or consume any alcoholic beverage in or upon any of the following places in the area of the city of Sonoma between sunset and 11:30 a.m.: 1. Any public park; 2. Any public street; 3. Any public way or sidewalk; and 4. Any public place defined as follows: a. Any enclosed area outdoors that is owned or occupied by the city and used for public purposes; ... It is unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession any can, bottle or other receptacle containing any alcoholic beverage, which has been opened, or a seal broken, or the contents of which have been partially removed, between sunset and 11:30 a.m., on any property subject to SMC 9.36.020 if the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in such areas.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
020(A). 020(B) bans drinking anywhere in Field of Dreams Park at any time of day, unless the city has authorized alcohol service for a specific event there under its own administrative regulations. 020, is also unlawful. 030 lets the city council or the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control authorize exceptions by resolution, which is how permitted festivals on the Plaza can legally serve alcohol outdoors. School property is excluded from this chapter entirely because Business and Professions Code Section 25608 governs it instead. 010 covers any liquid over one-half of one percent alcohol by volume. The chapter was substantially rewritten by Ordinance 08-2004 in 2004, and the Field of Dreams Park provision was added by Ordinance 05-2020 in 2020.
Violations & Fines
Drinking alcohol in violation of § 9.36.020 is a misdemeanor punishable as provided in Chapter 1.12 SMC, per § 9.36.050. Possessing an open alcohol container in violation of § 9.36.040 is a lesser infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $100.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a beer on Sonoma Plaza during the day?
What's the penalty for an open container in public in Sonoma?
Is alcohol ever allowed at Field of Dreams Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Public Alcohol Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle public alcohol use.