Las Vegas Drinking Laws Explained

Most Vegas vets know these, but thought it might help out many others. Quick read with lots of info...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jan/09/las-vegas-drinking-laws-explained/

 

"Drinking isn’t allowed in vehicles.

Those planning to catch a ride between bars have to toss their drink first.

Nevada state law prohibits all open containers in vehicles."

This often seems to be a point of confusion. If you are driving your friends in a personal car the above is true; however, it's my understanding that people traveling in a vehicle such as a cab shuttle or limo are allowed to have open containers.

 

True, if you're in a cab or limo you can keep drinking. Can't drink on the bus, not illegal, just against the rules of the transit authority.

 

Glass containers aren’t allowed on the Strip. A Clark County ordinance that passed in September makes it illegal to carry glass beverage containers on the Strip. Officials said the rule was created to cut back on litter and prevent people from using bottles as weapons.

I was there in November with glass containers and nobody said anything. How in the heck are they going to enforce this?

 

This is mainly enforced by merchants selling bottles of booze and hotel bars. I bought a couple of bottles of booze at Walgreen at PHo and the clerk stapled my bag shut and reminded me of the law. The bars will give you a plastic cup when you leave the bar, especially if you mention you are leaving the hotel.

I'm not sure how much it is enforced by the police... most likely the same amount that they enforce the litter law for the porn slappers.

 

More likely enforced by casino security when you come in to use their restrooms. The whole downtown plastic cup thing came about when casinos realized that dudes were drinking twelve packs on the street instead of coming to the casino's outdoor bars. Unexpected consequence: I now have free plastic cups which I can mix hotel room drinks in.

 

I am not much of a drinker but this article was informative and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

Its funny because you can still walk around with a yard stick full of beer, or those slushy things in the shape of various objects that hold tons of fluid. But if you have a can of beer, they might get on you. My last stay was in august, and I couldn't notice a difference with the new rules, besides the free cups all over the place.

 

I think a can of beer is OK, it's the aluminum bottles they frown on.

 

They don't want people going into walgreens or a liquid store and then going right outside and opening up and hanging around. That's why the 1000 feet and then you can.

 

I can understand the glass ban but aluminum bottles??

 

It doesn't apply to the strip, it's only Fremont. They don't want any package store alcohol on the street because the casinos want you to buy it from them. Has nothing to do with bottles or cans or what they are made of. If you have anything not in a plastic cup, the casino can call you out or a cop is free to hassle you. In case you haven't noticed, casino owners write the laws in Las Vegas.

 

The county passed the law for the Strip in September.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/glass-containers-banned-strip-sidewalks

 

I was on the strip before Christmas. I was carrying glass bottles of beer and glass cups of drink. No one hassled me.

It's got to be tough to enforce with the large volume of people on the strip

 

They will enforce it as they see it. That's about the best they can do.

 

So what is the law with aluminum CANS? Anybody know the answer for sure? For anybody that has been in vegas recently, did you notice plenty of people with glass or aluminum anyway?

 

I have heard different, (No drinking in any vehicle)!

 

The last time I took notes on the subject, drinking was legal in cabs and limos...well...not by the drivers! Whether company policy allows drinking is a separate question, although I sure read about lots of drinking in limos. If memory serves, it's even legal in mobile homes -- in the back, of course.

 

Don't take this as gospel, but my GF manages a major strip hotel and they don't care what or when you drink as long as you aren't causing trouble. That's the only time they would ask security to intervene. YMMV.

EDIT: I have had a few drinks lol...you are probably talking about police attitude? Well personally I have walked down the strip drinking from plastic guitars, yard long margaritas and 32 oz beer cans and walked straight past the cops and never had a problem. Again, YMMV.

 

With respect to the glass bottle ban, this article -- http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/apr/07/glass-bottle-ban-strip-results-handful-arrests-cle/ -- says that "So far, there have been 13 arrests, seven citations and 58 warnings issued to people consuming beverages from glass containers on sidewalks along Las Vegas Boulevard."