Open Containers
N.D.C.C. § 39-08-18 — no drinking or open container in a vehicle on a highway or in a public parking area, a $50 fee
No one may drink an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle on a public highway or in an area used principally for public parking, or have an opened bottle on their person there. An opened container may be kept in the trunk, or where there is none, in an area not normally occupied by the driver or passengers.
- The glove compartment counts as part of the area the driver and passengers occupy.
- A violation carries a fee of fifty dollars, recorded on a driving record only if the person was the driver.
- Chartered buses, paid passengers in a for-hire vehicle, and the living quarters of a parked motor home are excepted.
Sources for this section (1)
- N.D.C.C. § 39-08-18 — Open container law - Penalty
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Dakota attorney.