Sumter County, SC Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Sumter County Code § 28-3 bans consuming any alcoholic beverage, beer, or wine within the right-of-way or boundaries of any street, road, sidewalk, thoroughfare, alley, park, or other property owned by the state or a political subdivision, or any other real property used by or designed for use by the general public, unless the drinking happens inside an enclosed building. This applies throughout the unincorporated areas of the county, not inside Sumter, Mayesville, or Pinewood. Possessing an open container of alcohol, beer, or wine in one of those prohibited places is treated as prima facie evidence that the person in possession consumed its contents, so an officer does not need to witness actual drinking to establish a violation.

The section separately bars consuming alcohol on any public or private property, including a private yard or parking lot, without the consent of the property's owner; absent a posted sign, written permission, or an oral statement from the owner given to law enforcement at the time, the absence of that consent is itself prima facie evidence the person lacked permission. The county council, or whichever governmental entity controls a given street, park, or public property, may authorize public drinking there for specific events or occasions.

The prohibition does not reach alcohol consumed on the licensed premises of an establishment permitted by the state to sell and serve alcoholic beverages, beer, or wine, when consumed as that license allows. A conviction under § 28-3 is a misdemeanor, enforced by the Sheriff's Office.