Fort Lauderdale has approved new restrictions on alcohol sales and consumption as part of a broader effort to rein in activity in the city’s nightlife and beach entertainment areas.
The new ordinance was officially adopted following a vote at Tuesday night’s city commission meeting. Under the measure, the consumption of open alcohol containers is now banned, and outdoor alcohol sales are prohibited within designated entertainment districts.
The changes apply specifically to Fort Lauderdale’s nightlife and beach zones, including the Himmarshee Village Entertainment District, home to many of the city’s most popular bars and clubs.
City officials say the move comes in response to a series of violent incidents, including multiple shootings. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials previously reported that the department received its highest number of incident-related calls last year since 2021.
Supporters of the ordinance argue the restrictions are intended to create safer, more balanced entertainment districts that remain welcoming to residents while still supporting local businesses.
However, several bar and business owners pushed back against the changes ahead of the vote, warning that the new rules could hurt nightlife and tourism.
“I think when you took away the drinks outside, from my understanding, you’re saying you can’t go outside with a drink, and that’s just something that made the city,” one man told commissioners during public comment. “It made the flow, how you go out, how you entertain yourself for a night out. It’s something that’s very special for nightlife that you don’t find anywhere else. You don’t find it in Miami.”
City leaders had previously considered tightening regulations even further by moving bar closing times from 4 a.m. to 3 a.m., but that proposal was voted down following strong opposition from bar owners. Commissioners said the issue could still be revisited at a later date.
Mayor Dean Trantalis has said the alcohol restrictions are aimed at improving public safety and strengthening enforcement, particularly when it comes to underage drinking.
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“Underage children were drinking, and it was very hard to police that,” Trantalis said previously. “There’s no enforcement mechanism to be able to enforce that, now we’re giving the police the authority to do that, and we’re also telling the bars that they cannot sell from windows outside their bars, they can’t have kiosks selling liquor.”
City officials hope the ordinance will reduce crime and improve safety while maintaining Fort Lauderdale’s reputation as a major nightlife destination.