2224.1 Except as provided in §§ 2224.2 and 2224.3, no person shall operate or ride in a vehicle when any opened alcoholic beverage is in or on the vehicle.

2224.2 If the vehicle has a trunk, cargo area, or storage compartment that is inaccessible from the passenger area, an opened alcoholic beverage container may be carried in the trunk, cargo area, or storage compartment.

2224.3 If the vehicle does not have a trunk, cargo area, or storage compartment that is inaccessible from the passenger area, an opened alcoholic beverage may be carried in the vehicle if the container has been capped, corked, or otherwise closed, and the container is completely enclosed in a manner that does not allow a person to consume the alcoholic beverage.

2224.4 A person operating a vehicle in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100).

2224.5 For purposes of this section, the term “opened alcoholic beverage container” means an alcoholic beverage in a bottle, can, or other container which is open or from which the top, cap, cork, seal, or tab seal has at some time been removed; and the term “alcoholic beverage” means an alcoholic beverage as defined in § 3 of the District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, approved January 24, 1934 (48 Stat.319; D.C. Code § 25-103).

SOURCE: Section 6(c) of the Comprehensive Anti-Driving Amendment Act of 1991, D.C. Law 9-96, 38 DCR 7274, 7279 (December 6 1991); as amended by D.C. Act 15-704, 52 DCR 1700 (February 25, 2005); as amended by Emergency Rulemaking at 52 DCR 4066 (April 22, 2005); and Final Rulemaking published at 52 DCR 5759 (June 17, 2005).