Ocean City MD Open Container Laws

 

In 2012, the Ocean City Town Council changed the law regarding possession of open containers of alcohol in Ocean City. The law criminalizes the possession and/or consumption of alcohol in public within the town.

The penalty is a maximum 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. The offense is a misdemeanor and a must appear citation, unless your attorney arranges an alternate solution with the State’s Attorney’s Office. It also allows the police the discretion to issue a citation to appear in court or arrest defendants at the scene if warranted by the circumstances.

Before this law was enacted, offenders in many cases could resolve the matter by paying a fine. That is no longer the case. Every summer hundreds of these citations are issued and arrests are made in some of them that result in a long night in jail.

Attorney Brian Clark has successfully handled countless open container cases and is available to assist you as well. In some cases, he can assist you without you having to appear in court. Call Brian for further information.