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Yakima, WA Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

What's banned
Opening/drinking liquor in public
Legal basis
RCW 66.44.100, adopted by reference
Local citation
YMC § 6.12.015
Enforced by
Yakima Police Department
Penalty basis
RCW 66.44.180, general penalties

Summary

Yakima adopts RCW 66.44.100 by reference, making it unlawful to open a container of liquor or drink alcohol in any public place in the city, enforced under Yakima Municipal Code § 6.12.015.

§ 6.12.015. Statutes adopted – Alcohol violations. The following Revised Code of Washington (RCW) sections, as currently enacted or as hereafter amended or recodified from time to time, are hereby adopted by reference and shall be given the same force and effect as if set forth herein in full: RCW 9.91.060 Leaving children unattended in parked vehicle. RCW 66.04.010 Definitions. RCW 66.28.230 Keg registration—Furnishing to minors—Penalties. RCW 66.44.100 Opening or consuming liquor in a public place—Penalty. RCW 66.44.180 General penalties—Jurisdiction for violations. RCW 66.44.200 Sales to persons apparently under the influence of liquor—Purchases or consumption by persons apparently under the influence of liquor on licensed premises—Penalty—Notice—Separation of actions. RCW 66.44.250 Drinking in public conveyance—Penalty against individual—Restricted application. RCW 66.44.270 Furnishing liquor to minors—Possession, use—Penalties—Exhibition of effects—Exceptions. RCW 66.44.290 Minor purchasing or attempting to purchase liquor—Penalty. RCW 66.44.300 Treats, gifts, purchases of liquor for or from minor, or holding out minor as at least twenty-one, in public place where liquor sold. RCW 66.44.310 Minors frequenting off-limits area—Misrepresentation of age—Penalty—Classification of licensees. RCW 66.44.325 Unlawful transfer to minor of age identification. (Ord. 2013-039 § 3, 2013)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).

Full Breakdown

Yakima Municipal Code § 6.12.015 adopts a list of Revised Code of Washington alcohol provisions by reference, including RCW 66.44.100, Opening or consuming liquor in a public place. That means opening a container of alcohol or drinking it on a street, sidewalk, park, or any other public place anywhere in the city is treated exactly as it is under state law. The adoption is written to track "currently enacted or hereafter amended" versions of the RCW, so the city's rule automatically follows any future state changes to the statute rather than being separately rewritten in the municipal code.

Violations & Fines

Enforced as an infraction under the adopted RCW 66.44.180 general penalty section, also adopted by reference in § 6.12.015; the fine follows the state schedule rather than a separately printed city amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is drinking alcohol in a Yakima park illegal?
Yes. Yakima Municipal Code § 6.12.015 adopts RCW 66.44.100, which bans opening or consuming liquor in any public place, including parks and streets.
Does Yakima have its own separate open-container law?
No: it enforces the state open-container statute, RCW 66.44.100, by adopting it directly into the municipal code instead of writing a separate city rule.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Yakima

All Yakima rules

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