New Open Container Law Effective July 1, 2005
Any person in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle may not possess an alcoholic beverage container that:
Ø Has been opened
Ø Has a broken seal
Ø Has had some of its contents removed
The motor vehicle does not need to be in motion for a violation to exist.
The responsibility ultimately falls on the driver of the vehicle and he/ she will receive the ticket for violations of this law.
The law applies to cars, trucks, vans and SUV’s. In vehicles that do not have a separate trunk compartment, such as SUV’s any open container must be stored behind the rear-most upright seat. Motor homes that have a distinct separation between the driver’s compartment and living compartment are exempt from the open container law.