Playlist: Open Containers in Las Vegas
It is largely legal in Las Vegas for adults 21 or older to carry and drink alcohol from open containers in public. You also may bring open containers into casinos, but they can lawfully ask you to leave unless you dispose of the alcohol.
Meanwhile, driving with an open container in Nevada is always a crime. That said, open containers are allowed in the passenger areas of commercial transportation vehicles such as taxis.
Below our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys answer your FAQs on Nevada open container laws.
1. Can I walk around with open containers in Vegas?
It is generally legal for adults 21 and older to consume alcohol outside on Las Vegas sidewalks. The laws for drinking on the Strip differ slightly from those for Downtown and Fremont Street.
Drinking on the Strip
It is legal for pedestrians to carry open containers of alcohol on the Las Vegas Strip as long as they are in:
- plastic cups,
- paper cups, or
- aluminum containers.
Glass beverage containers are always forbidden, even if they contain non-alcoholic drinks.1
The Strip is a part of unincorporated Clark County, which expands across the towns of Winchester and Paradise. Throughout unincorporated Clark County, you may not carry an open alcohol container in parking lots or within 1,000 feet of where you purchased the alcohol in a closed container (such as a package store, convenience store, or supermarket).
Clark County also makes it illegal to drink at public parks unless there is a special event with the proper permits.2
Violating open container laws in unincorporated Clark County is a misdemeanor, carrying $250, and/or 30 days of jail time.3
Drinking Downtown and on Fremont Street
Pedestrians can drink outside in Downtown Las Vegas as long as the alcohol was bought at one of the large casinos that have “tavern licenses.”4 Most of the bars and restaurants downtown have “tavern-limited licenses,” which means they cannot let their liquor off the premises.5
Open aluminum cans and glass containers are forbidden on the Fremont Street Experience.6
Downtown and Fremont Street are part of the incorporated City of Las Vegas. The open container laws are a little more restrictive than in the rest of Clark County: It is illegal to carry an open container within 1,000 feet of a
- church,
- liquor store,
- school,
- hospital,
- homeless shelter, or
- bus stop.7
An open container violation in incorporated Las Vegas is a misdemeanor, carrying a $640 fine.8
2. Can I bring drinks into casinos in Las Vegas?
Yes, there is no law forbidding you from bringing your own alcoholic beverages into Las Vegas casinos. Though any open containers should be paper or plastic – not glass.9
Even though it is not illegal to bring alcohol into casinos, they would prefer that you purchase alcohol from their bars, clubs, or restaurants to increase their revenue. Furthermore, there are certain areas where hotels may forbid you from bringing in outside alcohol, such as the pool or a special event.
As private companies, casinos can ask you to leave if you refuse to follow the hotel/casino’s rules regarding outside alcohol. If you refuse to leave, you can face trespass charges.
3. Can I have an open container in a car?
NRS 484B.150 makes it a Nevada crime for a driver or passenger to have open containers of alcohol anywhere in the motor vehicle (except in non-passenger areas such as the trunk). It does not matter if
- the open container is out of reach of anyone in the car,
- no one is drinking, or
- you have a zero blood alcohol content (BAC).
Drinking while driving
NRS 484B.150 makes it a misdemeanor to drink alcohol while driving. It does not matter if you are sober and just taking a sip.
Operating an automobile with an open container is a misdemeanor in Nevada, punishable by
- up to 6 months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines, and
- 5 demerit points added by the Nevada DMV to your license.10
The sentence and penalties get doubled if your vehicle was in a work zone or pedestrian safety zone. Plus the court can order up to 120 hours of community service.11
An open container violation is a separate crime from DUI. If an officer pulls you over for an open container and they determine you are sober, you will just get cited for having an open container in your car. Though if the police believe you are impaired or have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or higher, you will get arrested for driving under the influence.
Casinos can transfer patrons’ drinks from glass to plastic before they leave the premises.
4. Can passengers drink alcohol in a car in Las Vegas?
Passengers in the living quarters of a house coach or house trailer in Las Vegas may have open containers of alcohol. Although open containers are prohibited on public transportation, open containers are permitted in the passenger areas of commercial transportation vehicles like:
- limos,
- town cars,
- trolleys,
- tour buses,
- shuttles,
- chartered “party buses” and RV buses, and
- taxis.
In Las Vegas, there must be a partition between the driver’s seat and the passenger seats.12
Uber and Lyft ride-sharing vehicles fall in a grey area of the law, but the general consensus is that open containers are not allowed in them. This is because Uber and Lyft vehicles were not designed primarily for commercial transportation of persons, even if that is what their owners primarily use them for.13
Note that the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) buses have a “no open container” policy14 and operators of pedicabs in unincorporated Clark County may not permit open containers in their rickshaws.15
5. How does Nevada law define an open container?
The legal definition of an open container of alcohol is when the can or bottle has been opened or has a broken seal. Examples include:
- a bottle of distilled spirits where the cap has been popped, twisted, or unscrewed
- a bottle of wine that has been uncorked
- a can of beer where the tab has been opened
- a “solo cup” with beer pumped from a keg
An unsealed container of alcohol can never be closed again: It is still considered open if the cap or cork was put back on the container. Even bottles or cans that no longer have any alcohol in them are still considered open. (If the container is 100% empty, a defense attorney may be able to argue that it is trash and should not count as an open container.)16
NRS 484B.150 applies to any beverage that is at least 50% alcohol (one-half of one percent alcohol). This includes all distilled liquors, wines, beer, ale, porter, stout, and other similar fermented beverages.17
6. How can I fight open container charges?
In our experience defending against open container charges in Nevada, our attorneys achieved charge reductions and dismissals by arguing:
- The location permitted public drinking;
- The bottle or can was sealed;
- The beverage in the container was non-alcoholic;
- The alcohol was not in the passenger area of the automobile; and/or
- The automobile was a commercial vehicle, and the open containers were out of reach from the driver.
It is not a defense that you were just carrying the container without drinking from it. Merely possessing an open container under the wrong circ*mstances is a crime.18
7. How soon can I get a record sealed?
An open alcohol container conviction may be sealed one year after the case ends.19 Though if the charge gets dismissed, the record may be sealed right away.20 Learn how to seal criminal records in Nevada.
8. What about open containers of marijuana?
Nevada law permits possession of recreational marijuana of up to two-and-a-half ounces, but only in private residences and licensed consumption lounges. Consuming marijuana in a public – including in a vehicle – is a misdemeanor carrying a $600 fine.21
Drivers leaving a retail marijuana dispensary are advised to store their marijuana in a sealed bag locked away in the trunk or glove compartment.
9. Is public intoxication ever a crime?
Public intoxication is not a crime in Nevada.22 However, public drunkenness often leads to criminal behavior you can get cited or arrested for, such as:
- breach of peace/disorderly conduct
- urinating in public
- jaywalking
- trespassing
10. What if I get into a car accident while having an open container?
Nevada police who see an open container in your vehicle will likely suspect that you are under the influence. DUI is typically a misdemeanor, but it can be prosecuted as a felony carrying hefty prison time if someone gets seriously injured, disabled or killed. Learn more about Nevada DUI penalties, including driver’s license revocations.
You may also face personal injury lawsuits. The injured parties may try to argue that you were negligent by having an open container and that your distractedness or intoxication caused the crash. Then you may be on the hook to pay for lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and medical bills (including prescription drugs and rehab).
Additional reading
For more information about open container laws, refer to the following:
- Open Container Laws By State 2024 Guide – Forbes.
- Open Container and Consumption Statutes – National Conference of State Legislatures.
- Open Containers of Alcohol in Motor Vehicles – Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS).
- States With Open Container Laws Have Fewer Alcohol-involved Vehicle Crashes – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Las Vegas exploring possibility of open container law in Arts District – 3 News (KSNV-NBC).
Legal References
- Clark County Code (CCC) 12.43.025; Shine, Conor, “Glass bottles no longer allowed on Strip,” Review-Journal (Sept. 16, 2014). NRS 202.015 defines alcohol as
“1. Beer, ale, porter, stout and other similar fermented beverages, including sake and similar products, of any name or description containing one-half of 1 percent or more alcohol by volume, brewed or produced from malt, wholly or in part, or from any substitute therefor. 2. Any beverage obtained by the fermentation of the natural content of fruits or other agricultural products containing sugar, of not less than one-half of 1 percent of alcohol by volume. 3. Any distilled spirits commonly referred to as ethyl alcohol, ethanol or spirits of wine in any form, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof from whatever process produced.”
- CCC 12.35.010; CCC 19.04.030.
- CCC 12.43.030.
- Las Vegas Municipal Code (LVMC) 6.50.240; see Joe Schoenmann, A guide to downtown Las Vegas’ open container laws, Las Vegas Sun (March 30, 2014).
- LVMC 6.50.250.
- LVMC 10.77.030; Jane Ann Morrison, City council bans glass, aluminum liquor containers at Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas Review-Journal (June 18, 2014). LVMC 10.84.020.
- LVMC 10.76.010. Note that other local ordinances throughout Nevada have their own open container laws; some are very specific to certain neighborhoods, the front steps of a building, common hallways in a multi-unit residence (apartment or condo buildings), etc.
- Las Vegas Bail and Fine Schedule Violation 5741. See also Reno’s open container law RMC Sec. 8.12.033.
- See notes 1 and 6.
- Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 484B.150. (The judge may allow community service in lieu of a fine.) NRS 484B.135; NRS 484B.130. NAC 483.510(16)(b).
- Same.
- CCC 12.35.020. LVMC 11.14.070. NRS 484B.150.
- See, for example, Uber Community Guidelines.
- Passenger Code of Conduct Policy, RTC.
- CCC 7.50.200.
- NRS 484B.150.
- NRS 202.015.
- Same. A criminal defense attorney may also be able to argue that law enforcement committed misconduct, such as an illegal police search.
- NRS 179.245.
- NRS 179.255.
- NRS 453.336.
- NRS 258.260.
