North Dakota Code § 39-08-18

Open container law - Penalty
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1. A person may not drink or consume alcoholic beverages, as defined in section 
5-01-01, in or on any motor vehicle when the vehicle is upon a public highway or in an 

area used principally for public parking. A person may not have in that person's 
possession on that person's person while in or on a private motor vehicle upon a 
public highway or in an area used principally for public parking, any bottle or 
receptacle containing alcoholic beverages which has been opened, or the seal broken, 
or the contents of which have been partially removed. It is unlawful for the owner of 
any private motor vehicle or the driver, if the owner be not then present in or on the 
motor vehicle, to keep or allow to be kept in a motor vehicle when such vehicle is upon 
the public highway or in an area used principally for public parking any bottle or 
receptacle containing such alcoholic beverages which has been opened, or the seal 
broken, or the contents of which have been partially removed except when such bottle 
or receptacle is kept in the trunk of the motor vehicle when such vehicle is equipped 
with a trunk, or kept in some other area of the vehicle not normally occupied by the 
driver or passengers, if the motor vehicle is not equipped with a trunk. A utility 
compartment or glove compartment must be deemed to be within the area occupied 
by the driver and passengers. This subsection does not prohibit the consumption or 
possession of alcoholic beverages in a house car if the consumption or possession 
occurs in the area of the house car used as sleeping or living quarters and that area is 
separated from the driving compartment by a solid partition, door, curtain, or some 
similar means of separation; however, consumption is not authorized while the house 
car is in motion. Any person violating this subsection must be assessed a fee of fifty 
dollars; however, the licensing authority may not record the violation against the 
person's driving record unless the person was the driver of the motor vehicle at the 
time that the violation occurred.
2. Subsection 1 does not apply to a public conveyance that has been commercially 
chartered for group use, any passenger for compensation in a for -hire motor vehicle, 
or a privately owned motor vehicle operated by a person in the course of that person's 
usual employment transporting passengers at the employer's direction. This 
subsection does not authorize possession or consumption of an alcoholic beverage by 
the operator of any motor vehicle described in this subsection while upon a public 
highway or in an area used principally for public parking.
3. The driver of a multipassenger bicycle may not:
a. Drink or consume alcoholic beverages, as defined in section 5 -01-01, while 
operating the multipassenger bicycle on any public street, road, path, or highway 
or while in an area used principally for parking; or
b. Have in the driver's possession on the driver's person while operating the 
multipassenger bicycle on a public street, road, path, or highway or while in an 
area used principally for parking, any bottle or receptacle containing any alcoholic 
beverage which has been opened, or the seal broken, or the contents of which 
have been partially removed.

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