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Georgia Open Container Law (2026)

Restricted: Prohibited: no person may consume an alcoholic beverage or possess an open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger area of a motor vehicle that is on the roadway or shoulder of a public highway (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-253).

Prohibited: no person may consume an alcoholic beverage or possess an open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger area of a motor vehicle that is on the roadway or shoulder of a public highway (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-253). "Passenger area" excludes a locked glove compartment and, in a passenger car without a trunk, the area behind the rearmost upright seat. Only the person consuming or possessing is charged — but a driver alone in the vehicle is deemed to possess any open container. The ban does not reach passengers in vehicles used primarily to transport people for compensation, or in the living quarters of a motor home or house trailer. Penalty: a fine not to exceed $200 and 2 points on your Georgia driving record.

Official source: law.georgia.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.