Ohio's Drinking Laws
Put-in-Bay is a village on South Bass Island, located in Put-in-Bay Township in Ottawa County within the state of Ohio. As such, Put-in-Bay enforces Ohio's drinking laws within the township and the village.
This means Put-in-Bay licensed permit holders are prohibited from serving:
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Anyone under 21. You must be at least 21 years of age to consume alcohol. Many bars restrict patrons to 21 years of age.
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Anyone who is already visibly intoxicated. This may be a judgment made by the individual permit holder or their agent (bartender or server).
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A habitual alcoholic.
You may not legally consume alcohol in any public area, including the street, sidewalk, parking areas, parks or on the public docks.
Ohio laws prohibit persons from possessing alcohol in hotels that have liquor licenses
(that describe the liquor permit premises as including
the rooms) since it is against state laws to bring your own alcohol on to a licensed premise for consumption. This includes bringing alcohol into a restaurant and/or tavern.
Not only is bringing your own alcohol into a permit holder's
establishment bad form, it is also illegal and
punishable by law.
Be aware of the fact that a licensed permit holder is given the right to serve alcohol, but he is not required to serve it. Permit holders and their agents have the right to determine whether to serve a patron or not.
Be sure to bring your drivers license and expect to be asked for it. "I left it in the car on the mainland" isn't the bartender's problem.
Permit holders also have the right to ask you to leave and once they have made this request you are, by law, considered to be trespassing.
The Put-in-Bay Police Department strictly enforces Ohio Open Container laws within the village and the township. Open Container violations are currently about $100 per infraction.
It is also illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol. That means you cannot operate any vehicle or water craft if you are considered intoxicated by state guidelines.
This includes a golf cart.
For more information on Ohio's drinking laws, review the Ohio Revised Code.
