California · Business and Professions Code - BPC

BPC §25620: (a) Any person possessing any can, bottle, or other receptacle containing any alcoholic beverage that has been opened, or a seal broken, or the contents of which have been partially removed, in any ci

Infraction

What this law says, in plain English

A person who possesses an opened alcoholic beverage container in a public park or public place commits an infraction if a local ordinance prohibits it, with exceptions for licensed premises and recycling activities.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Any person possessing any can, bottle, or other receptacle containing any alcoholic beverage that has been opened, or a seal broken, or the contents of which have been partially removed, in any city, county, or city and county owned park or other city, county, or city and county owned public place, or any recreation and park district, or any regional park or open-space district shall be guilty of an infraction if the city, county, or city and county has enacted an ordinance that prohibits the possession of those containers in those areas or the consumption of alcoholic beverages in those areas. (b) This section does not apply where the possession is within premises located in a park or other public place for which a license has been issued pursuant to this division. (c) This section does not apply when an individual is in possession of an alcoholic beverage container for the purpose of recycling or other related activity.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.