Marin County, CA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 6.10.010, Marin County Code
- Banned zone
- Wharf Rd, Brighton Ave, Park Ave, County Park (Bolinas)
- Penalty
- Infraction under Bus. & Prof. Code § 25620
- Enacted
- Ordinance 2579, 1980
- Suspension allowed
- Board may suspend for celebrations, carnivals (§ 6.10.030)
- Enforcing agency
- Marin County Sheriff's Office
Summary
County Code § 6.10.010 bans drinking alcoholic beverages in specific public areas of unincorporated Bolinas: Wharf Road, Brighton Avenue, Park Avenue where it borders the County Park, and the County Park itself. Anyone caught with a partially emptied can, bottle, or other container in those areas is guilty of an infraction under Business and Professions Code Section 25620, as applied by County Code Section 6.10.020.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited within the following areas of the unincorporated community Bolinas, Marin County: (1)The entire length of Wharf Road from its intersection with Brighton Avenue to its terminus at the beach adjacent to the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon;(2)The entire length of Brighton Avenue from its intersection with Wharf Road to its terminus at Bolinas Beach;(3)Park Avenue where it encompasses the County Park;(4)The County Park and adjacent areas that are bordered by Park and Brighton Avenues.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
005). 010 draws the no-drinking zone along four specific stretches: the entire length of Wharf Road from its intersection with Brighton Avenue to its terminus at the beach near the mouth of Bolinas Lagoon; the entire length of Brighton Avenue from Wharf Road to its terminus at Bolinas Beach; Park Avenue where it runs past the County Park; and the County Park itself plus adjacent areas bordered by Park and Brighton Avenues. 020 ties enforcement to state law: anyone found with a can, bottle, or other container of alcohol that has been partially opened inside those boundaries is guilty of an infraction under Business and Professions Code § 25620, Marin's local open-container hook.
030 lets the Board of Supervisors suspend the whole chapter for specific periods to accommodate town celebrations and carnivals in Bolinas, so the rule is not absolute year-round. 11, imposes its own alcohol restrictions during the Marin County Fair carnival area and is enforced independently of this Bolinas-specific rule. The Marin County Sheriff's Office, which patrols unincorporated Bolinas, is the enforcing agency for open-container infractions in this zone.
Violations & Fines
Possessing an opened alcohol container within the mapped Bolinas zone is charged as an infraction under § 6.10.020, tied to Business and Professions Code § 25620; infractions carry a fine set by the county's infraction schedule rather than jail time. The Sheriff's Office issues the citation on the spot; Chapter 6.10 carries no misdemeanor upgrade in its own text, unlike many other nuisance chapters in the code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is public drinking banned in Bolinas?
What happens if I'm caught with an open container there?
Can the county ever lift the ban temporarily?
Does this rule apply anywhere else in Marin County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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