§ 19-4. Drinking alcoholic beverages or offering to another in public places.
(a)
For purposes of this section, the term "public place" shall mean any place, building or conveyance to which the public has or is permitted to have access, including restaurants, soda fountains, hotel dining areas, lobbies, and corridors of hotels, and any highway, street, lane, park, or place of public resort or amusement. The term shall not include:
(1)
Hotel or restaurant dining areas or ballrooms while in use for private meetings or private parties limited in attendance to members and guests of a particular group, association or organization;
(2)
Restaurants licensed by the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in office buildings or industrial or similar facilities while such restaurant is closed to the public and in use for private meetings or parties limited in attendance to employees and nonpaying guests of the owner or a lessee of all or part of such building or facility;
(3)
Offices, office buildings or industrial facilities while closed to the public and in use for private meetings or parties limited in attendance to employees and nonpaying guests of the owner or a lessee of all or part of such building or facility; or
(4)
Private recreational or chartered boats which are not licensed by the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and on which alcoholic beverages are not sold.
(b)
It shall be unlawful for any person to take a drink of any alcoholic beverage or to offer a drink thereof to another, whether accepted or not, at or in any public place.
(c)
This section shall not prevent any person from drinking alcoholic beverages or offering a drink thereof to another in any room or area approved by the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in a licensed establishment, provided such establishment or the person who operates the establishment is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages at retail for on-premises consumption and the alcoholic beverages drunk or offered were purchased therein.
(d)
Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
(Code 1993, § 20-4; Code 2004, § 66-4)
Cross reference— City-owned real estate, Ch. 8; use of public grounds, parks, playfields and playgrounds, § 8-264 et seq.; streets, sidewalks and public ways, Ch. 24.
State Law reference— Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 4.1-308.
(Code 1993, § 20-4; Code 2004, § 66-4)