Can you drink alcohol while someone else drives in Washington state? See the law

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a few drinks? You won’t be alone.

St. Patrick’s Day is among the “booziest holidays” in the United States based on the number of drinks consumed, according to online alcohol use resource Alcohol.org. The March holiday trails Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve.

If your plans on Tuesday, March 17, include bar hopping with friends or grabbing a drink between destinations, it’s important to know the rules about alcohol use in vehicles.

The Washington State Patrol increases its patrols around certain holidays in order to crack down on drunk driving, speeding and other dangerous behaviors.

What about passengers? Can you get in trouble for drinking in the car — or holding an open container — if you aren’t the one behind the wheel?

Here’s what Washington state law says:

Can I drink if someone else is driving in Washington state?

In Washington state, it’s illegal to “drink any alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle when the vehicle is upon a highway,” the Revised Code of Washington says.

It’s also against the law to have a “bottle, can or other receptacle containing an alcoholic beverage” that’s been opened, had its seal broken or had part of its contents removed — in your car while driving.

In other words, passengers aren’t allowed to drink or even hold open alcoholic beverage containers while on the road.

The primary reason is to prevent drivers’ access to alcohol, according to troopers with the Washington State Patrol.

If a passenger has an open container, they can easily pass it to the driver — making it difficult for law enforcement officers to determine who has been drinking.

Washington State Trooper Chris Thorson previously told McClatchy Media that troopers on patrol look for concerning behaviors, such as speeding and signs of impairment.

If a trooper spots an open container of alcohol in your vehicle, you may get pulled over.

Can I keep my drink in my glove compartment?

In Washington state, you can have an open container in your car if it’s kept somewhere the driver and their passengers can’t access.

The container must be “kept in the trunk of the vehicle or in some other area of the vehicle not normally occupied by the driver or passengers” if there’s no trunk, according to the Revised Code of Washington.

The glove or utility compartment doesn’t count, state law says, since it’s part of the “area occupied by the driver and passengers.”

Unopened alcoholic beverages are fine, so you don’t have to use your trunk to store bottles or cases when bringing them home from the liquor store.

What’s the penalty for having an open container?

If anyone in your vehicle is caught with an open container, the registered owner of the car — or the driver if the owner isn’t present, could face an infraction.

That traffic infraction comes with a fine of $145, and is separate from any charges related to driving under the influence.

You can face an additional infraction if you try to disguise an alcoholic beverage in order to get around this law.

If anyone under 21 is involved, they could be charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to Thorson.

Are there any exceptions to open container rules?

In Washington state, open containers are allowed in public service vehicles that have been commercially chartered for group use, such as a party bus, and the living quarters of motor homes or campers.

Passengers can also have open containers in licensed for-hire vehicles such as limousines.

The law also doesn’t apply to licensed employees such as resort staff or golf cart girls while working using privately owned vehicles.

However, Washington law bans passengers using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft from having open containers.

Counties in Washington state may have their own provisions regarding open containers on public and private roads.

This is an updated version of a previous story that originally ran in 2025.