The 2016 camping/music festival/road tripping season is right around the corner! If you have access to an RV, you may have found yourself wondering, “Can I drink in the passenger area?” If your plans include a cross-country trip, you will have to do your research as “open bottle” laws vary from state to state. However, if your trip includes any time on a public road in Minnesota, the answer is simply “No.”
Minn. Stat. 169A.35 spells out Minnesota’s open bottle law. If you drink, or even possess, an alcoholic beverage that has been opened, or the seal broken, or the contents partially removed, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. Now this doesn’t mean you have to leave all of your half full bottles of rum at home, but if you bring them they have to be stored in a trunk or some other area not normally occupied by the driver or passengers.
There are a few exceptions. Party buses, pedal pubs, and limos are exempt from this rule. Basically, unless you are hiring a professional to do the driving, you are better off saving that “roadie” for the campsite.