Josh Brolin -- Arrested for Public Intoxication

Josh Brolin rang in 2013 pretty hard ... getting popped for public intoxication on New Year's Day ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Brolin was arrested just before midnight on January 1 in Santa Monica. Brolin was booked into jail at 3:02 AM and then released at 7:14 AM.

Brolin was not given a citation for the arrest -- meaning he will not have to go to court over the incident and it is completely over.

Sources close to Brolin tell TMZ he was hanging out with a bunch of his guy friends that night and ended up having "too much fun."