We all know that we’re not supposed to drink and drive. You know it, we know it, and your DUI attorney knows it. He’ll do everything he can to get you off the hook, or at least to get your driving privileges reinstated. Still, as we all know, if you drink and drive and get caught, you’re in for an uphill climb.
We all know you can’t have an open container of alcohol in the car, but did you realize that in most states you’re not allowed to have an open container in most other public places, either? Of course, you can have a beer at the ball game, and bars and restaurants are great places to have a drink. But there are lots of places where most states prohibit you from having alcohol in public places such as:
- Parks
- Inside vehicles
- Sidewalks
- Parking lots
- Public buildings
Some of these laws are simply common sense. After all, no one in their right mind is going to bring an open container into the court room unless he wants his DUI attorney to beat the hell out of him. But others can bite you in the hind end if you’re not aware of them. After all, the last thing you need is a ticket for having an open container in a public park (something we would think would be a minor thing) when you’re trying to fight a DUI charge.
Open container laws are made at the state level rather than at the federal level, so they’re different from one state to the next. If you like to have a drink now and then (and who doesn’t?), it’s a good idea for you to be aware of the laws in your city or locality and state. For starters, here are the states which actually don’t have open container laws:
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Montana
- Virginia
- Missouri
In Louisiana, it is even legal to have an open container of alcohol in the car, as long as driver isn’t drinking. Of course, convincing the police officer who pulled you over for crossing the median and driving on the sidewalk that you weren’t drinking is another matter entirely.