We’ve all been there. You’re out to dinner, you’ve enjoyed a cocktail or two, and you’ve moved on to a bottle of wine. Only the meal is winding down and you’re not sure that you’ll be able to finish the bottle by the time you leave the restaurant. Are you allowed to take the leftover wine home or will you be forced to leave it at the table?

The good news is that taking an unfinished bottle of wine home with you after dining in at a restaurant is almost universally legal. In the early 2000s, most states in the U.S. restructured their restaurant wine take-home laws in an effort to promote safer consumption and decrease the risk of intoxicated drivers on the roads. Many states refer to these laws as “cork and carry” “Merlot to go” or “wine doggy bag” laws.

While the act of taking home an unfinished bottle of wine might be permissible nearly across the board, each state has its own restrictions on how these unfinished bottles must be prepared before they are able to be transported. Some states simply require that the bottle be resealed in its original container while others mandate they be placed in tamper-proof packaging and be accompanied by a receipt. Check out the chart below to determine the restaurant wine take-home laws are in your home state.

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State Can You Take Wine Home? Notes
Alabama Yes Patrons are permitted to remove one opened bottle of wine off premises if the customer has purchased and consumed part of the bottle on premise. The bottle must be re-corked and/or resealed so it’s apparent it has not been tampered with. The customer will also need a dated receipt for the resealed bottle before leaving.
Alaska Yes Permissible to remove one bottle of wine from the premises provided the bottle was purchased with a meal. Wine must either be re-corked so the cork is flush with the opening of the bottle, resealed with tamper-proof tape, or placed in a tamper-proof bag from a licensed manufacturer.
Arizona Yes Customers may remove unfinished bottles of wine provided they were served with a meal and the cork was reinserted flush with the bottle opening.
Arkansas Yes Wine may be removed from the premises provided it was purchased in conjunction with a meal and partially consumed on-site. All bottles must be re-corked before they can be taken home.
California Yes Wine does not have to be purchased with food in order for patrons to take it home. Unfinished bottles must be firmly re-corked and kept in the trunk of the vehicle during transportation.
Colorado Yes Patrons can remove one opened container of partially consumed “vinous liquor” provided the original container had no more than 750 milliliters and the bottle is fully resealed.
Connecticut Yes One bottle of wine can be removed so long as the guest purchased a “full course meal” and consumed a portion of the bottle with the food. The partially consumed bottle must be securely resealed and placed in a bag by an employee of the restaurant.
Delaware Yes Patrons are permitted to remove an unfinished bottle of wine from restaurant premises provided it has been resealed. Any beverage that cannot be resealed in its original container cannot be removed.
District of Columbia Yes Guests can take home one bottle of opened wine provided it has been resealed by a restaurant employee and placed in a securely closed bag along with a dated receipt.
Florida Yes Patrons are able to remove one unfinished bottle of wine if the bottle was purchased with a meal and partially consumed on-site. Unfinished bottles must be resealed by an employee, placed in a secure bag, and attached to a dated receipt for the bottle and meal. In the vehicle, the bottle must be placed in a locked glove compartment, the trunk, or behind the last upright seat if no trunk is available.
Georgia Yes Restaurant patrons can remove one partially consumed bottle of wine from the premises provided it was purchased with a meal and has been firmly resealed.
Hawaii Yes Restaurant guests may take home one partially consumed bottle of wine so long as it was purchased with a meal and has been securely resealed in its original container.
Idaho No There is no state-wide legalization for removing unfinished bottles of wine from restaurants. Idaho state law also bans any open or unsealed container of wine from motor vehicles on highways.
Illinois Yes Patrons who have purchased a bottle of wine with food can remove it from the premises provided it has been resealed, placed in a one-time- use, tamper-proof bag and is attached to a dated receipt.
Indiana Yes One unfinished bottle of wine may be removed from a retailer’s premises provided it was consumed on-premise in conjunction with a meal and has been resealed, placed in a tamper-evident bag, and returned to the guest with a dated receipt.
Iowa Yes Patrons can remove one bottle of unfinished wine so long as it has been resealed and placed in a bag that would show evidence of tampering. Guests will also require a dated receipt for the resealed bottle.
Kansas Yes Patrons can remove one or more unfinished bottles of wine from a restaurant so long as the wine remains in its original container, has been firmly resealed by an employee and placed in a tamper-proof, transparent bag. The restaurant will also need to provide guests with a dated receipt showing proof of purchase.
Kentucky Yes Restaurant patrons may remove one opened bottle of wine from the premises so long as the guest partially consumed the wine alongside a meal. Unfinished bottles must be securely resealed by a restaurant employee, placed in a tamper-evident bag, and be returned to the guest attached to a dated receipt.
Louisiana Yes Patrons may take unfinished wine off premise. If transported in a vehicle, the bottle must be stored in a non-passenger area to be compliant with Louisiana open container laws.
Maine Yes Restaurant guests may take home one unfinished bottle of wine provided it was purchased, partially consumed on-site with a meal, and the patron is not visibly intoxicated. Unfinished bottles must be securely resealed and placed in a bag before they can be transported.
Maryland Yes Diners may take home unfinished bottles of wine provided they have been firmly re-corked or recapped. All unfinished bottles must be transported in a lockable glove box, the trunk, cargo hold, or behind the rear-most seat of the vehicle.
Massachusetts Yes One bottle of wine may be removed from the premises per patron so long as it has been securely resealed and placed in a one-time-use, transparent, tamper-proof bag affixed with a dated receipt. Bottles must also be purchased with a meal.
Michigan Yes Patrons can take home one bottle of unfinished wine from a restaurant so long as it was purchased and partially consumed with a meal. Bottles must be re-corked such that the cork is flush with the opening.
Minnesota Yes Unfinished bottles of wine may be taken home so long as the wine was purchased and partially consumed with a meal and has been firmly resealed.
Mississippi Yes When dining in, patrons may remove one bottle of unfinished wine from the restaurant provided it is securely resealed by an employee of the restaurant and has been placed in a tamper-evident bag with the receipt attached. When dining out, one singular bottle of closed wine can be purchased with to-go orders.
Missouri Yes Guests may take home one unfinished bottle of wine provided it was purchased and partially consumed with a meal. The wine must be firmly resealed, placed in a one-time-use, tamper-evident bag, and attached to a dated receipt before it can be removed from the restaurant.
Montana Yes Restaurants with beer and wine licenses may allow a patron to remove partially consumed bottles of wine so long as the bottle has been resealed with the original cork or bottle top. When in the vehicle, bottles must be stored in accordance with the state’s open container laws.
Nebraska Yes Customers can remove one unsealed bottle of wine if the bottle was purchased and consumed with a full-course meal. Bottles need to be resealed by a restaurant employee, placed in a clear bag, and attached to a dated receipt. If the bottle is then transported in a vehicle, it must be placed in the trunk or the last upright seat of the vehicle if no trunk is available.
Nevada Perhaps There are no official state-wide parameters for legally taking home a bottle of unfinished wine from a restaurant. Check county-by-county laws.
New Hampshire Yes Wines must be purchased with a meal to be eligible to take home. Any unfinished bottle must be firmly resealed and placed in a tamper-evident bag. Bottles transported in cars must be kept in the trunk or in a compartment area least accessible to the driver.
New Jersey Yes Unfinished wine can be removed from the restaurant premises provided the bottle has been firmly resealed by an employee of the restaurant. If transported by car, bottles should be transported in accordance with New Jersey open container laws.
New Mexico Yes Unfinished bottles can be removed so long as they were purchased and partially consumed with a full-course meal. Before removing, a restaurant employee must reseal the bottle, place the bottle in a tamper-proof bag, and attach it to a dated receipt. At wineries, patrons may take home unfinished bottles so long as they have been re-corked and placed in a tamper-proof bag. All bottles should be transported within the parameters of the state’s open container laws.
New York Yes A partially consumed bottle of wine may be removed from a  licensed restaurant only if it was purchased and consumed with a meal. Bottles must be resealed by a restaurant employee, placed in a one-time-use, tamper-proof, transparent bag, and attached to a dated receipt.
North Carolina Yes There are no state-wide laws banning the practice of taking unfinished wine from restaurants. Any partially consumed bottle must be transported in accordance with North Carolina open container laws.
North Dakota Yes Patrons may remove an unfinished bottle of wine from a restaurant provided it was purchased and partially consumed with a meal, has been re-corked or otherwise resealed by a restaurant employee, and returned along with a dated receipt.
Ohio Yes Unfinished bottles of wine must be resealed by an employee such that it is visibly apparent if the bottle has been tampered with before it can be taken off-premise. The bottle must be stored in compliance with Ohio’s open container laws if transported in a motor vehicle.
Oklahoma Yes An unfinished bottle of wine can be taken off-premise so long as it has been re-corked or otherwise resealed in its original container.
Oregon Yes Patrons who purchase an unfinished bottle of wine with a meal can take the bottle with them so long as they are not visibly intoxicated.
Pennsylvania Yes Unfinished bottles of wine that were purchased with a meal and have been firmly resealed can be removed from a restaurant’s premises.
Rhode Island Yes Patrons can remove one bottle of unfinished wine from a restaurant so long as it was purchased with a meal, and the bottle has been resealed and  placed in a tamper-evident container with a dated receipt attached.
South Carolina Yes There are no specific laws preventing restaurants from allowing guests to take unfinished bottles off-premise. South Carolina law states that any open container must be kept in the trunk of a vehicle during transportation.
South Dakota Yes Unfinished bottles of wine must be purchased with food, securely resealed by a restaurant employee, placed in a sealed bag, and accompanied by the receipt to be taken off premise.
Tennessee Yes Customers who purchase a bottle of wine with food may take home any unfinished wine.
Texas Yes Holders of a Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) may permit customers to take home any unfinished bottle of wine so long as they were ordered with food.
Utah Yes Unfinished bottles of wine that were purchased with a meal can be removed from the premises so long as the bottle is re-corked or resealed.
Vermont Yes Patrons can remove partially consumed bottles so long as they were purchased with a meal and have been firmly resealed.
Virginia Yes Any unfinished wine must remain in its original container and be firmly resealed before it can be taken off-premise.
Washington Yes Guests may remove unfinished wine from the premises provided it was purchased with a meal and has been resealed in its original container.
West Virginia Yes A maximum of two unfinished bottles of wine may be removed from a restaurant’s premises so long as they were both purchased and served in conjunction with food. Bottles must be re-corked or resealed using tamper-resistant closures before they can be taken on-premise.
Wisconsin Yes Restaurant guests may remove one unfinished bottle of wine from the premises provided it was purchased alongside a meal. Any unfinished bottle must be resealed and attached to a dated receipt before it can be removed.
Wyoming Yes One unsealed bottle of wine may be removed from the premises so long as it was purchased and partially consumed in conjunction with a meal. A restaurant employee must firmly reseal the bottle and place it in a tamper-proof, transparent bag before it can be removed. Patrons must also carry a dated receipt for the bottle of wine.