Open Container In A Vehicle
MCL 257.624a — the passenger area, and where an open bottle may ride
An operator or occupant may not transport or possess alcoholic liquor in a container that is open, uncapped, or has a broken seal in the passenger area of a vehicle on a highway, or in the passenger area of a moving vehicle anywhere open to the public or generally reachable by vehicles, parking areas included. The rule covers passengers as well as the driver.
The passenger area is the area designed to seat the driver and passengers while the vehicle is in operation, and any area readily reachable from a seat, the glove compartment included. In a vehicle with no trunk or compartment separate from the passenger area, an open container may be carried in a locked glove compartment, behind the last upright seat, or in an area not normally occupied by the driver or a passenger.
A misdemeanor, and 2 points. A violation is a misdemeanor, and the sentence may include community service and substance abuse screening and assessment at the person's own expense. It carries 2 points on the driving record.
A passenger in a chartered vehicle authorized by the state transportation department is outside the section, and so, unless a local ordinance says otherwise, is a passenger on a commercial quadricycle, within the limits the section sets.
Sources for this section (2)
- MCL 257.624a — Open containers of alcohol in a vehicle
- MCL 257.320a — Points recorded for each violation
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.