GrumpyGator wrote: What are the laws regarding open containers in an RV for various states? Are there states that do not allow open containers at all?
I anticipate traveling with some open bottles of adult beverages and don't want to run afoul of the local authorities.
This whole thread has gotten out of wack and no one has actually answered the OP question. I doubt any one here is a expert on the topic. And I used the wrong word, reciprocal, is trying to help the OP.
In the OPs home state and passenger of legal age is allowed to drink in a motor vehicle, so I understand his concern because most states would not allow that.
My research on the web indicated that at least 39 states and the District of Columbia are in compliance with the U. S. Governments Transportation Equity Act for the 21 Century. In the Transportaion Equity Act, a model Open Container Law is offered up to the states to incorporate into their own state's Open Container Law. If the states fail to incorporate the federal TEA's model Open Container Law into their own laws, they do not get certain federal transportation aid money. And we all know the states don't want to turn down money from the fed, except for a couple of them. I did not do a search for each states Open Container Law, but did find out that 11 states have an outright ban on open containers in vehicles. Alaska, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming have partial bans whereas Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, Virginia, and West Virginia actually allow passengers to drink. To find out the 11 states which have outright bans on open containers, you could check http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-r-0128.htm for a idea of what each states laws are, but the only real way to know for sure is to check each individual state's laws on line. Almost every state has their legislative laws posted on line. So just make a list of the state you plan on going through and look them up. And then you will still run afoul of laws of individual communities who do, or do not, have open container laws. And remember that there are many local laws out there that directly run against decisions of the SCOUS. Just because the court has ruled against a state law does not make another jurisdiction remove it from their books.
So GrumpyGator, I guess if you want a answer to your question, you will have to do some seaching of each individual state you plan on passing through.
The whole tone of this thread seems to be how can I sneak past the Law and drink and drive.
Sorry if I'm wrong.
I don't want to be on the same road with people drinking alcohol and driving.
It happens routinely of course. See people come in 7/11 etc and buy a single placed in a conveniently sized brown bag.
Play by the rules and everyone lives.
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