Published on: August 29, 2025, 07:21h.
Updated on: August 27, 2025, 01:02h.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A fresh edition of “Vegas Myths Busted” releases every Monday, including a special Flashback Friday segment.This edition first appeared on August 26, 2024.
Enjoying frozen cocktails from 3-liter tubes is a frequent sight on the Strip and around Fremont Street, painting Las Vegas as a kind of drinks paradise with minimal regulations on consumption.
However, opting for a bottle or can of Budweiser from your hotel minibar could result in a 30-day jail term and a $250 fine if consumed in public. It’s crucial to understand the strict and somewhat odd laws governing drinking in public areas of Sin City.
As always, we’re here to clarify any misconceptions you might have about Las Vegas.
Steer Clear of Glass Containers
Choosing that minibar Bud was a poor decision.
This is due to Section 12.43.025 of the Clark County Code, which bans the carrying of open glass beverage containers on the Strip or in downtown areas. This regulation was enacted 10 years ago to prevent these bottles from being utilized as weapons and to minimize broken glass litter.
And indeed, your glass bottle remains classified as open if you simply put the cap back on!
Only paper or plastic cups, bottles, or aluminum cans are permitted for open consumption in Las Vegas. When ordering drinks to go from a bar or casino, they will be provided in plastic containers. If you’re ready to leave, bartenders will transfer your glass Mojito into a compliant vessel.
This rule applies to all beverages, not exclusively alcoholic ones. Therefore, on the Las Vegas Strip, you can receive a citation for sipping a glass bottle of Coca-Cola! (Good luck finding one now!)
However, there are specific laws that pertain only to alcohol…
Lowering Your Spirits
Opening alcohol purchased from a liquor store, convenience store, or supermarket within 1,000 feet of that location is illegal, even if it’s a can. (This law aims to discourage drunken congregating outside these establishments.)
Additionally, consuming alcohol within 1,000 feet of any public or private school, places of worship, hospitals, recovery centers, or homeless shelters is illegal. Since none of these are situated on the Strip, this restriction primarily affects downtown public drinking, where open container violations can incur fines as high as $640.
That said, it is also illegal to drink in any parking lot or at any bus stop throughout Clark County, and the Strip has an abundance of these locations.
Moreover, similar to other parts of the United States, drinking alcohol in a vehicle is a significant legal violation, regardless of whether the ignition is off, you are merely a passenger, or the vehicle is an Uber. This is a misdemeanor across Nevada, carrying a potential penalty of up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, and five points deducted from your driver’s license, with penalties doubling in work or pedestrian safety enforcement zones.
The only places where you are legally permitted to consume alcohol within a vehicle are in the back of a taxi (as long as it’s not in a glass container) or in limos or party buses (regardless of the container type). You can also enjoy beverages in a parked or moving RV, provided you aren’t driving when it’s in motion.
Look for new editions of “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. Click here to check out previous myths that have been debunked. Have a myth about Las Vegas that needs to be clarified? Contact us at [email protected].