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Open Containers and Cannabis in the Car

23 V.S.A. § 1134 — no open alcohol or cannabis in the passenger area, and the driver may not consume either

  • A driver may not consume alcohol or cannabis while driving on a public highway, including secondhand cannabis smoke from someone else in the car.
  • No one in the car may have an open container of alcohol or cannabis in the passenger area.
  • The passenger area includes the glove compartment unless it is locked; in a car without a trunk, it excludes the area behind the last upright seat.
  • 23 V.S.A. § 1134
  • 23 V.S.A. § 1134a
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A driver consuming faces a civil penalty of not more than $500. An open container of alcohol carries not more than $25, and of cannabis not more than $200.

  • 23 V.S.A. § 1134
Sources for this section (2)
  1. 23 V.S.A. § 1134 — Motor vehicle operator; consumption or possession of alcohol or cannabis
  2. 23 V.S.A. § 1134a — Motor vehicle passenger; consumption or possession of alcohol or cannabis

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Vermont attorney.

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