U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Alcohol Open Container Requirements
Key facts
- Open now
- None right now
- Opening soon
- 1 grant
- Type of help
- Project grant
- Typical award
- FY 2024 ranges were -$1,760,316 - $24,659,845.
Opening soon
Announced, but you can't apply yet. Get ready now.
- Highway Safety Grants (NHTSA pass-through) · Opens Mar 1, 2027 · due Mar 31, 2027
What it pays for
To encourage States to enact and enforce a compliant alcohol open container law. Under Section 154, to avoid the transfer of funds, a State must enact and enforce an open container law that prohibits the possession of any open alcoholic beverage container, or the consumption of any alcoholic beverage, in the passenger area of any motor vehicle (including possession or consumption by the driver of the vehicle) located on a public highway, or the right-of-way of a public highway, in the State. 23 U.S.C. 154(b)(1)
Who can apply
States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Match
Match: none required (federal program listing). Statutory Formula: Title 23, Part Subchapter D, Subpart 1270,Public Law 117-158
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2016: 1. Impaired driving countermeasures
2. Enforcement of laws prohibiting driving while intoxicated and
3. Driving under the influence
Fiscal year 2017: Section 154 funds must be solely used for alcohol-impaired driving countermeasures permissible under NHTSA's S. 402 State and Community Highway Safety formula grant program or for FHWA's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) eligible activities (hazard elimination). For example, in FY 2017, Louisiana's Highway Safety Commission provided S. 154 grant funds to support the forensic analysis of DWI cases in communities across 29 parishes in northern Louisiana.
Fiscal year 2025: Impaired driving paid media campaigns: Funding will provide paid media campaigns for Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Youth alcohol, Quarterly Impaired Driving Campaigns, and various other alcohol and/or drug impaired driving efforts for, but not limited to Super Bowl Sunday, Cinco De Mayo, and statewide festivals.
Who in Tennessee has won this program
15 awards to Tennessee groups since 2022 · 0 in Tipton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $18.3M spent that year | 2025 |
| State of Florida Department of Transportation | Nashville, Davidson County | $15M | 2026 |
| Safety & Homeland Security | Nashville, Davidson County | $14.1M | 2025 |
| Safety & Homeland Security | Nashville, Davidson County | $13.6M | 2023 |
| Shelby County Government | Memphis, Shelby County | $84K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | $83K spent that year | 2023 |
| City of Lexington | Lexington, Henderson County | $63K spent that year | 2025 |
| Town of Selmer | Selmer, McNairy County | $31K spent that year | 2025 |
| Town of Oakland, Tennessee | Oakland, Fayette County | $23K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Dunlap | Dunlap, Sequatchie County | $20K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Savannah | Savannah, Hardin County | $16K spent that year | 2025 |
| Town of Somerville | Somerville, Fayette County | $10K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Department of Education pass it on: watch those agencies for applications, not the federal agency. 125 pass-through grants on file · 1 in Tipton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Sport Marketing LLC | Nashville, Davidson County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $300K | 2025 |
| City of Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $225K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Knoxville, Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $189K spent that year | 2025 |
| Blount County, Tennessee | Maryville, Blount County | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $142K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Brownsville | Brownsville, Haywood County | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $126K spent that year | 2024 |
| Humphreys County, Tennessee | Waverly, Humphreys County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $115K spent that year | 2023 |
| Sullivan County, Tennessee | Blountville, Sullivan County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $103K spent that year | 2023 |
| The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $97K spent that year | 2024 |
| Knox County Government | Knoxville, Knox County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $95K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Brownsville | Brownsville, Haywood County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $92K spent that year | 2023 |
| City of Sevierville, Tennessee | Sevierville | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $86K spent that year | 2025 |
| Hamilton County, Tennessee | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $86K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).