May I drink alcohol in a public place, for example a beer in the park?
It depends on the place and the municipality — there is no single national ban on drinking alcohol outdoors in Slovenia. The Limitation of Alcohol Consumption Act (ZOPA) mainly governs sale and serving: alcohol may not be sold or served on public surfaces except in hospitality premises and at licensed events, and it may not be sold to minors or visibly intoxicated people. Whether you may drink an already-bought beer on a park bench is decided by the municipal public-order ordinance — and these differ: many municipalities (Ljubljana, coastal towns, places in the Julian Alps) ban drinking on certain public surfaces, while elsewhere there is no explicit ban. The myth is that a beer in the park is either banned or allowed everywhere: on a bar terrace it is perfectly lawful, but on the street or in a park it can be a municipal offence, with a fine that often runs from 80 to 800 euros. So before the first sip, check the ordinance of the place you are in.
📋 The rules
- ZOPA: the sale and serving of alcohol on public surfaces are prohibited, except in hospitality premises and at events with the proper licence.
- ZOPA: selling and serving alcohol to people under 18, and to people showing clear signs of intoxication, is prohibited.
- ZOPA: in hospitality premises at least two non-alcoholic drinks must be cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic drink of the same measure.
- Drinking already-bought alcohol on streets and in parks is governed by the municipal public-order ordinance — the ban is not national but local and differs between municipalities.
- Fines for drinking on a prohibited public surface are set by the municipal ordinance and often run from 80 to 800 euros; some tourist municipalities have introduced a flat 500-euro fine.
🔓 Exceptions
- On the terrace or garden of a hospitality venue licensed to serve, drinking alcohol is allowed even though it is a publicly accessible space.
- At licensed public events selling alcohol, drinking is allowed in marked zones; the organiser must control the carrying of drinks onto other surfaces.
- In municipalities without an explicit ordinance banning drinking on public surfaces, quiet drinking alone is not an offence — but disorder, disturbance or intoxication can trigger other offences under ZJRM.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no single national fine for drinking on a public surface — the amount is set by the municipal ordinance, often running from 80 to 800 euros, and in tourist areas frequently a flat figure such as 500 euros in some Julian Alps municipalities. ZOPA breaches on the seller's or publican's side are more serious: selling alcohol to a minor or to a visibly intoxicated person carries high fines for the legal person and the responsible person, with supervision by the Health Inspectorate and the Market Inspectorate. If drinking comes with violent or insolent behaviour, disturbing the peace or public provocation, further offences under the Protection of Public Order Act follow. The police may detain until sober an intoxicated person who endangers themselves or others. For a minor caught drinking, the parents are notified. The total cost of an evening drink in the wrong place thus quickly exceeds the price of the drink itself.
📎 Official sources
- PISRS · statute register (ZOPA and ZJRM-2) →
- Police · public order and peace →
- NIJZ · alcohol and health →
❓ Frequently asked
May I finish a beer on a park bench?
It depends on the municipality. State law does not ban this in general, but a municipal public-order ordinance may; in Ljubljana and many tourist places drinking on certain public surfaces is not allowed. So check the local ordinance, as elsewhere it may be entirely permissible.
What is the fine for drinking alcohol in a public place?
There is no single national fine, because the amount is set by the municipal ordinance. In practice fines often run from 80 to 800 euros, and some Julian Alps municipalities have introduced a flat 500-euro fine. Extra offences may be added if the person is intoxicated and disturbs others.
May I drink a beer on the street that I bought in a shop?
This is not a question of ZOPA but of the municipal public-order ordinance. Where the ordinance does not ban drinking on public surfaces it is allowed, and where it does it is an offence; ZOPA only governs sale and serving, not the drinking of an already-bought drink outdoors.
May a publican sell alcohol to a minor?
No. ZOPA prohibits the sale and serving of alcoholic drinks to people under 18 and to people showing signs of intoxication. High fines are prescribed for the publican or shop, and supervision is carried out by the health and market inspectorates.
Can the police detain me for being drunk on the street?
Intoxication itself is not an offence, but the police may detain until sober a person who, while drunk, endangers themselves or others. If a drunk person disturbs public order, defies an official or causes disorder, offences under the Protection of Public Order Act follow.
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