Pennsylvania § 5505 Public drunkenness and similar misconduct

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 5505 — Public drunkenness and similar misconduct

Pennsylvania § 5505

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES

PartPART II

Ch. 55RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND

Subch.DEFINITION OF OFFENSES GENERALLY

This text of Pennsylvania § 5505 (Public drunkenness and similar misconduct) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5505 (2026).

Text

A person is guilty of a summary offense if he appears in any public place manifestly under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, as defined in the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, except those taken pursuant to the lawful order of a practitioner, as defined in The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, to the degree that he may endanger himself or other persons or property, or annoy persons in his vicinity. A person convicted of violating this section may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $500 for the first violation and not more than $1,000 for the second and each subsequent violation.

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A person is guilty of a summary offense if he appears in any public place manifestly under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, as defined in the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, except those taken pursuant to the lawful order of a practitioner, as defined in The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, to the degree that he may endanger himself or other persons or property, or annoy persons in his vicinity. A person convicted of violating this section may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $500 for the first violation and not more than $1,000 for the second and each subsequent violation.

Legislative History

(June 18, 1999, P.L.67, No.8, eff. 60 days; Oct. 25, 2012, P.L.1663, No.205, eff. 60 days) 2012 Amendment.Section 2 of Act 205 provided that the amendment of section 5505 shall apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of section 2. Cross References.Section 5505 is referred to in sections 3573, 8902 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure); section 6138 of Title 61 (Prisons and Parole).