Utah Open Container Law (2026): Rules, Exemptions, Penalty

Utah bans drinking alcohol while operating a golf cart, motor vehicle, motor-assisted scooter, or electric-assisted bicycle, and separately bans a passenger from drinking while riding in a motor vehicle. It also bans keeping an open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle or on a golf cart, motor-assisted scooter, or electric-assisted bicycle, when the vehicle is on a highway or the waters of the state. Utah Code Section 41-6a-526 already covered golf carts and motor-assisted scooters before a May 2026 update, which broadened its e-bike language from a narrower category to electric-assisted bicycles generally.

Jurisdiction scope: This article addresses Utah's state open container law under Utah Code Section 41-6a-526. It does not address DUI charges or local ordinances. For Utah's separate DUI penalties, see Utah DUI laws.

What Utah's Law Bans

Utah Code Section 41-6a-526 contains two separate bans. Subsection (2) bans drinking an alcoholic beverage while operating a golf cart, a motor vehicle, a motor-assisted scooter, or an electric-assisted bicycle, or while riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle, whether the vehicle is moving, stopped, or parked, on a highway or the waters of the state; the passenger prong is limited to motor vehicles and does not reach golf carts, scooters, or e-bikes. Subsection (3) separately bans keeping, carrying, possessing, transporting, or allowing another to keep, carry, possess, or transport an open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, on a golf cart, on a motor-assisted scooter, or on an electric-assisted bicycle, when the vehicle is on a highway or the waters of the state. Because both bans apply broadly, an open container found in a covered vehicle is a violation on its own, without anyone having to be caught drinking from it. Subsection (1)(d) defines "passenger compartment" as any area accessible to the operator or passengers while traveling, including a utility or glove compartment; it does not include a separate front or rear trunk compartment, or other area not accessible to the operator or passengers while inside the vehicle, so a container kept there is outside subsection (3)'s reach.

Which Vehicles Are Covered

The drinking ban reaches more than standard cars, but not evenly. A person may not drink while operating a golf cart, motor vehicle, motor-assisted scooter, or electric-assisted bicycle, on a highway or the waters of the state. A passenger, however, is barred from drinking only while riding in a motor vehicle; the passenger drinking ban does not extend to golf carts, scooters, or e-bikes. The separate possession ban runs the other direction: it reaches the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle as well as golf carts, motor-assisted scooters, and electric-assisted bicycles, when the vehicle is on a highway or the waters of the state. That breadth is unusual among the states in this dataset, most of which limit their open container statute to motor vehicles. Inside a motor vehicle, "passenger compartment" includes a glove or utility compartment but not a separate trunk that is not accessible to the operator or passengers while inside the vehicle.

Exemptions

Four exemptions apply:

• A passenger in the living quarters of a motor home or camper.
• A passenger who carried an alcoholic beverage onto a limousine or chartered bus that complies with Utah Code Section 32B-4-415(4)(b) through (c).
• A passenger in a motorboat on the waters of the state.
• The possession ban in subsection (3), though not the drinking ban in subsection (2), does not apply to a passenger traveling in a licensed taxicab or bus.

The May 2026 Amendment

Utah amended Section 41-6a-526 effective May 6, 2026, through Chapter 334 of the 2026 General Session. The current, post-amendment text reads "electric assisted bicycle" with no class qualifier in both the drinking ban and the possession ban. The prior version of the section is not available from the Utah Legislature's website, so this page does not assert what the earlier wording said or confirm whether anything else changed. The current, post-amendment text is the one that controls, not any earlier version a reader might find cited elsewhere.

Penalty

A violation of Section 41-6a-526 is a class C misdemeanor under Utah Code Section 41-6a-526(6). The exact fine and jail-term ranges for a class C misdemeanor are not stated within Section 526 itself.

For how this rule compares with every other state, see the open container laws by state comparison.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about open container laws in the United States as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. Open container statutes, exemptions, and penalties change; verify the current text of your state's law before relying on it, and consult a lawyer licensed in your state for advice about a specific situation.

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Utah's open container law apply to golf carts and e-bikes?

Yes, for the operating ban and the possession ban. A person may not drink while operating a golf cart, motor vehicle, motor-assisted scooter, or electric-assisted bicycle, and an open container is also banned on those vehicles. The passenger drinking ban, however, applies only to someone riding in a motor vehicle, not a golf cart, scooter, or e-bike.

Can a passenger drink alcohol in a car in Utah?

No. Utah bans both the driver and any passenger from drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, whether it is moving, stopped, or parked.

What changed in Utah's open container law in 2026?

A May 6, 2026 amendment (Chapter 334) took effect. The current text of Section 41-6a-526 reads 'electric assisted bicycle' with no class qualifier. The prior version of the section could not be retrieved, so this page does not state what the earlier wording was or confirm whether anything else changed.

Is an open container allowed in a Utah motor home?

Yes, for a passenger in the motor home or camper's living quarters. That is one of Utah's statutory exemptions.

Does the trunk count as the passenger compartment in Utah?

No. Utah defines 'passenger compartment' as any area accessible to the operator or passengers while traveling, including a glove or utility compartment, but it excludes a separate trunk compartment that is not accessible to them from inside the vehicle.