346.935 Intoxicants in motor vehicles.

(1) No person may drink alcohol beverages or inhale nitrous oxide while he or she is in any motor vehicle when the vehicle is upon a highway.

(2) No person may possess on his or her person, in a privately owned motor vehicle upon a public highway, any bottle or receptacle containing alcohol beverages or nitrous oxide if the bottle or receptacle has been opened, the seal has been broken or the contents of the bottle or receptacle have been partially removed or released.

(3) The owner of a privately owned motor vehicle, or the driver of the vehicle if the owner is not present in the vehicle, shall not keep, or allow to be kept in the motor vehicle when it is upon a highway any bottle or receptacle containing alcohol beverages or nitrous oxide if the bottle or receptacle has been opened, the seal has been broken or the contents of the bottle or receptacle have been partially removed or released. This subsection does not apply if the bottle or receptacle is kept in the trunk of the vehicle or, if the vehicle has no trunk, in some other area of the vehicle not normally occupied by the driver or passengers. A utility compartment or glove compartment is considered to be within the area normally occupied by the driver and passengers.

(4)

(a) In this subsection:

1. “Chauffeur" means a person employed full time or on a regular basis, including leased drivers, for the principal purpose of operating a motor vehicle.

2. “Limousine" means any motor vehicle for charter or hire which is operated by a chauffeur and designed for transporting persons rather than property.

(b) This section does not apply to passengers in a limousine or in a motor bus who possess any bottle or receptacle containing alcohol beverages that has been opened, on which the seal has been broken or the contents of which have been partially removed or released if the vehicle is operated by a chauffeur holding a valid license and endorsements authorizing operation of the vehicle as provided in ch. 343 and is in compliance with any local ordinance or regulation adopted under s. 349.24.

(5) In addition to any other penalty prescribed by law, any violation of this section by an operator of a commercial motor vehicle shall be punished under s. 346.65 (2u).

History: 1975 c. 297 s. 16; Stats. 1975 s. 346.935; 1981 c. 20; 1981 c. 79 s. 17; 1983 a. 535; 1985 a. 332 s. 253; 1989 a. 105; 1997 a. 336.