Alcohol and drugs
In which of these vehicles does the open container rule for alcohol NOT apply to a passenger?
- A taxi. Correct answer
- A friend's pickup truck.
- Your own car, as long as the bottle is in the glove box.
Why
The open container rule is strict: any alcohol or cannabis you carry has to be sealed and unopened, and an opened container goes in the trunk or somewhere passengers do not sit. The handbook makes an exception for passengers in four kinds of vehicles, which are buses, taxis, campers and motorhomes. A friend's pickup is not among them. The glove box answer is wrong twice: your own car is not on that list, and the handbook names the glove box as an illegal spot for an open container. The exception covers passengers in those vehicles and does nothing for the person driving.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is A taxi.
The rule behind this one
California alcohol and drug rules for drivers goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on alcohol and drugs
- You are 35, not on DUI probation, and drive for a ride service, carrying a passenger who pays for the trip. At what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does it become illegal for you to drive?
- Can you be convicted of DUI if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was never measured?
- In the handbook's BAC table, one drink means 12 ounces of 5% beer. How much 12% wine counts as one drink?
- Your BAC is 0.10%. According to the handbook's glossary, what does that number mean?