Open Container
RSA 265-A:44 — sealed or in the trunk, and a $150 fine
In the passenger area of a vehicle on a way, liquor, beverages and marijuana are kept in the original container with the seal unbroken. A securely capped, partly filled container goes in the trunk.
Who handles this in New Hampshire: New Hampshire Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the New Hampshire directory.
The rule binds the driver and, separately, every passenger, and for a passenger it reaches an area principally used for public parking as well as the way.
A violation and $150. Breaking the rule is a violation with a fine of $150. A driver may also have the license suspended 60 days for a first offense and up to one year for a second.
The rule does not apply to passengers in a chartered bus, a taxi or a limousine for hire, though the driver of one may have none in or about the driver's area. A space built as living quarters is not the passenger area.
Sources for this section (1)
- RSA 265-A:44 — Transporting Alcoholic Beverages or Marijuana
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Hampshire attorney.