Can You Drink Alcohol on the Beach or in Public in Bali?

Yes, within limits. No national law or Bali provincial rule bans adults from drinking a beer on a public beach or on a warung terrace. What can be punished is being drunk in public to the point of disturbing order or threatening other people's safety. On top of that, stricter limits apply in temple areas, during traditional ceremonies on the beach, and on age and sales. Every reference below was checked in October 2026.

What does the new Criminal Code, in force since 2 January 2026, say?

Indonesia's new Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023) took effect on 2 January 2026. Article 316(1) states that anyone who is drunk in a public place and disturbs order or threatens the safety of others faces a fine of up to category II. Under Article 79, a category II fine is a maximum of Rp10 million. The old Code's Article 492 carried six days' detention or a Rp375,000 fine.

Article 316(2) is heavier: anyone who, while drunk, does work that must be done with great care or could endanger other people's lives faces up to one year in prison or a category III fine. So the offence is not the drinking itself but its consequences: a disturbance, a threat, or putting people in danger.

Is there a regional regulation or governor's rule against drinking on the beach?

We found no Bali regulation that bans alcohol on beaches in general. Three regional rules still matter:

• Bali Governor's Circular No. 7 of 2025 for foreign tourists. On alcohol, it only bans driving under the influence. But it also bans rude behaviour, causing disturbances, dumping rubbish into the sea and using single-use plastics. Bottles and cans left on the sand count as litter.
• Bali Governor's Regulation No. 1 of 2020 on traditional fermented and distilled drinks. Arak, tuak and brem may not be sold to minors, by street vendors, at lodgings and campsites, or near places of worship, schools, government offices and health facilities. Arak from a roaming beach seller is clearly outside these rules and risks being adulterated.
• Bali Regional Regulation No. 3 of 2026 on protecting beaches and coastal setbacks, in force since March 2026 (ANTARA, 4 March 2026). It guarantees customary communities' access to the beach for ceremonies and bans blocking that access, polluting sacred sites and disrupting ceremonies. It does not mention alcohol, but sitting with drinks on a melasti procession route or beside a sea temple can easily be seen as disruptive.

What about temple areas and ceremonies on the beach?

Do not drink inside temple grounds, including temples on the shoreline, and do not take alcohol into them. Circular 7/2025 requires visitors to respect sacred sites and customs, especially during ceremonies. If a melasti procession, offerings or penjor bamboo poles appear on the beach, the pecalang (village customary security) may ask you to move. Just do it; each customary village has its own awig-awig rules, and a warning sign at a beach entrance is binding even if no provincial regulation mentions it.

Who may drink, and where should you buy?

Alcohol can only be bought by those aged 21 and over in Indonesia, and beach clubs or minimarkets may ask for a passport (details in Bali's drinking age rules). Beer from licensed warungs, cafés or beach clubs on the sand is completely normal in Kuta, Seminyak or Jimbaran. For arak, buy labelled products with a distribution licence; how to recognise them is in our arak guide for visitors.

Can foreigners be deported for being drunk?

Yes. Article 75 of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration allows immigration officers to impose administrative action, including deportation and an entry ban, on foreigners reasonably suspected of endangering security and public order or of not obeying the law. A drunken disturbance, especially with violence, damage to property or disrespect at a sacred site, falls into the category that can end in deportation, usually after any criminal process is finished.

In short, what is safe?

• A beer or cocktail on a public beach, at a warung or a licensed beach club: fine for ages 21+.
• Getting drunk enough to cause trouble, disturb or threaten people: a fine of up to Rp10 million (Criminal Code Article 316).
• Drinking in temple grounds or in the middle of a ceremony: don't.
• Leaving bottles and cans behind: breaks the litter ban.
• Swimming or driving after drinking: dangerous, and driving carries its own penalties (see Bali's drink-driving limit).

Sources: Law No. 1 of 2023 (Articles 79 and 316), Law No. 6 of 2011 (Article 75), Bali Governor's Circular No. 7 of 2025 (Bali Tourism Office), Bali Governor's Regulation No. 1 of 2020, Bali Regional Regulation No. 3 of 2026 (ANTARA), Hukumonline (January 2026). Checked October 2026.

If you want a sunset beer on the sand, pick a stretch of beach away from the sea temple, bring a bag for your own rubbish, and stay on land after the second glass: the rip currents on Bali's south coast do not care how strong a swimmer you are.