§ 36-624a. Possession of alcoholic liquor in passenger compartment; prohibition.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person who is an operator or occupant, other than a passenger in a chartered vehicle authorized to operate by the state department of transportation, shall transport or possess alcoholic liquor in a container that is open or uncapped or upon which the seal is broken within the passenger compartment of a vehicle upon a street, or within the passenger compartment of a moving vehicle in any place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of vehicles, in this state.

(b)

A person may transport or possess alcoholic liquor in a container that is open or uncapped or upon which the seal is broken within the passenger compartment of the vehicle upon a street or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, included in an area designated for the parking of vehicles in the state, if the vehicle does not have a trunk or compartment separate from the passenger compartment, the container is enclosed or encased, and the container is not readily accessible to the occupants of the vehicle.

(c)

A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. As part of the sentence, the person may be ordered to perform community service and undergo substance abuse screening and assessment at his own expense as described in section 703(1) of the Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998, 1998 Public Act No. 58 of 1998 (MCL 436.1703(1)). A court shall not accept a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a violation of this Section from a person charged solely with a violation of section 36-625(d).

(Code 1988, § 10.624a; Ord. No. 434, § 1, 8-15-2000)