With open container laws that use technical, legal verbiage, you might be wondering—can you drink in public in New Orleans?
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The answer is yes. It’s almost required, in fact.
New Orleans’ open container laws are some of the most laid-back in the United States.
That probably doesn’t sound like too much of a surprise for a city with the catchphrase, Laissez les bon temps rouler! That’s French for, Let the good times roll!
Still, you might be wondering where, exactly, you’re allowed to enjoy those Sazeracs and Hurricanes while on your nightly jaunt. Is it only in the French Quarter? Does that mean New Orleans’ open container laws aren’t applicable beyond Frenchman and Bourbon Streets?
Let’s explore.
Prefer to drink indoors in NOLA? Don’t miss out on the most famous drinks in New Orleans.
A closer look at New Orleans’ open container laws
Open container laws aren’t uniform across all 50 states, but, generally speaking, the idea is that you’re allowed to have an open alcoholic drink with you.
You can find open container laws around the US aside from New Orleans, including in downtown Savannah, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri.
So, what makes New Orleans’ open container laws special? Well, the city likes to party. Back in 1998, the US ratified a new act that required all states to dictate when and where open containers are allowed.
New Orleans, with its penchant for outdoor parades and Mardi Gras lifestyle, was one of the first areas that Louisiana lawmakers focused on.
The reason New Orleans’ open container laws are so lax is that the city has always had a ‘party’ culture, especially in the French Quarter. Shortly after the new law went into effect in 1998, local authorities designated certain areas and times when locals would be allowed to carry open containers of alcohol.
Here’s my point: drinking is considered cultural in New Orleans, meaning its approach to open container laws is really, really relaxed compared to other states. So long as you’re not causing problems for anyone, they (probably) don’t care that you have a drink in your hand.
The technicalities
Now onto the technicalities of open container laws.
These are the three main rules that apply to drinking in public in New Orleans:
- Open container laws apply to specific zones; the largest and most active is the French Quarter
- All open containers must be plastic; no aluminum or glass
- You can’t be visibly intoxicated; public intoxication is still a crime
That being said, there are also plenty of gray areas.
For example, you’ll notice drive-through daiquiri shops around New Orleans, where you can buy soft-drink style frozen daiquiris. Because they’re sold to you with a lid, no laws are broken because it’s not an ‘open’ container.
Aside from legal loopholes, I also want to point back to that NOLA culture. So long as you aren’t causing problems for anyone, such as littering, being too noisy, or otherwise disturbing the locals, you can (probably) get away with sipping a little Hand Grenade while on the go.
That’s a pretty hefty probably given I’m not a lawyer, so do with it what you will.
But here’s a little story that highlights why I feel comfortable drinking in public in New Orleans. During one road trip through the city a while back, a friend and I found a few bottles of Mad Dog 20-20. (It’s a neon-colored rice wine liquor drink.)
We decided to take them with us during our day trip to the swamps surrounding NOLA. We kept them chilled in the back seat and brought them on a fan boat tour. As we boarded, I asked our tour guide, “Can I bring these on board to drink during the tour?”
She turned to me, gave me the once-over, and, in the thickest Cajun accent you can imagine, asked, “I don’t know, can you?”
It was rhetorical. She didn’t care.
