In Nevada, it is illegal to have open alcohol containers in the passenger compartments of a vehicle. There is an exception in Las Vegas, where open containers are allowed in limousine or taxi passenger areas if the area is separate from the driver. Opened plastic cups and containers are legal for public consumption. If you buy a drink in a plastic cup, you can leave the casino, bar or other establishment with the glass and continue drinking it on the street.
Many establishments offer to pour purchased drinks into closed containers into a plastic cup so that you can finish your drink after you leave. It is illegal to carry a glass container with alcohol on the Strip. On Fremont Street (part of Las Vegas), walking and drinking alcohol from glass containers or aluminum cans is prohibited. No, you can't have an open container in a car in Las Vegas.
Nevada's open container law, NRS 484B, 150, prohibits drivers and passengers from keeping open containers of alcoholic beverages in their vehicles. Nevada law does not specifically provide an exception for vehicle areas where open containers can be legally placed. However, Nevada law prohibits the possession of open alcohol containers only in the passenger area, which is defined as the area of the vehicle designed to seat the driver and any passenger. Therefore, by implication, the law allows open containers of alcohol to be placed in areas outside the passenger area, such as the trunk of the vehicle.
Las Vegas proper and the Las Vegas Strip have different rules regarding open containers and public drinks. Although people are allowed to drink on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada prohibits anyone from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas have different rules regarding open containers and public consumption of beverages. Therefore, open containers and public consumption of beverages are subject to Clark County laws, which allow open containers on both the Strip and Las Vegas, with some exceptions.
However, passengers on any type of pay-per-hire transport can only carry open containers if there is a division between the driver and those who pay the fare. People often describe the very nature of downtown and the Las Vegas Strip areas with one word: party. Due to the large number of bars and casinos here, state laws designate the Las Vegas area as one of the few places without an open container law in the United States. However, before you hit the streets of Las Vegas with an alcoholic beverage, you should understand the warnings and exceptions to Las Vegas open container laws.
