🍺 Can I drink alcohol in a public place in Albania?

With conditions

Quick answer

In principle yes — there is no general national ban on having a beer in a park or on the beach. Albania has no law that broadly bans drinking alcohol in public spaces, so the myth that “drinking in the street is a crime” does not hold as a general rule. But “no general ban” is not “no limits”. Three limits are real: selling and offering alcohol to minors is strictly forbidden (Law no. 9518, as amended by Law no. 74/2018); disturbing public order or being drunk in a way that troubles others can be penalised; and the local council may impose bans in certain zones or events. If you then drive, a different regime kicks in: the 0.2 g/l blood limit. So alcohol in public does not fine you by itself — your conduct does: who you give it to, how you behave and where.

📋 The rules

There is no general national ban on drinking alcohol in public places such as parks, beaches or streets.
Selling and offering alcoholic and energy drinks to people under 18 is banned in every retail outlet (Law no. 9518/2006, as amended).
An adult who offers alcohol to a minor they accompany is fined 10,000-20,000 lek in a shop and 20,000-30,000 lek in a bar, restaurant, cinema or nightclub.
Drunkenness that disturbs public peace or troubles others can be pursued under public-order rules, even though drinking itself is not an offence.
The local council may restrict alcohol consumption in certain zones, hours or events by local act; that restriction applies even without a national ban.

🔓 Exceptions

Private plots, licensed venues and permitted events have their own rules; a permit for one place does not apply to another.
For minors the regime is far stricter: neither buying, nor offering, nor consuming “a little” alcohol is justified by circumstances.
If you drive after drinking, the 0.2 g/l limit and road sanctions apply; “I was in public, not behind the wheel” gives no protection once you start the car.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Drinking a beer in a park itself rarely brings a fine, because there is no national “public drinking” offence. The cost comes from the other side. If you offer alcohol or energy drinks to a minor you accompany, the fine is 10,000-20,000 lek in a shop and 20,000-30,000 lek in a bar, restaurant, cinema or nightclub. Watch the figures: in everyday speech you will hear these as “100-300 thousand lek”, because people quote old lek — they are the same fines. Drunkenness that turns into a brawl, damage or public nuisance can move into public order and liability for the harm. And if you get behind the wheel after drinking, fines and a licence suspension apply above 0.2 g/l. So the “consequence” of alcohol in public usually involves a minor, your behaviour or a car — not the sip itself.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Is there a law banning drinking alcohol in the street?

Not a general national ban. Drinking alcohol in a public space is not in itself an offence, but the local council may impose local restrictions and drunken behaviour that disturbs public peace can be penalised.

How big is the fine if I give alcohol to a minor?

An adult accompanying a minor who offers them alcohol or energy drinks is fined 10,000-20,000 lek in a shop and 20,000-30,000 lek in a bar, restaurant, cinema or nightclub. Selling to people under 18 is banned in every outlet.

Can the police fine me for being drunk in a park?

Drinking itself is not an offence, but drunkenness that turns into a nuisance, noise or a brawl can be pursued under public-order rules. There it is not the “alcohol” that is fined but the conduct that disturbs the peace or harms others.

Does the situation change if I drive after drinking?

Yes, completely. The moment you take the wheel the legal 0.2 g/l blood limit and road sanctions apply; the fact that you drank “outside, in public” gives you no protection once you start the vehicle and are checked.

Can the council ban alcohol on the beach or in the centre?

Yes, by local act. Councils can restrict alcohol consumption in certain zones, hours or events, and that restriction is valid even when there is no general national ban in place, so a seaside promenade or a town square may have its own rule.

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