England fans warned that drinking as a passenger in a car is illegal in Texas

England fans heading to their World Cup opener against Croatia in Arlington, Texas on June 17 have been warned that drinking alcohol as a car passenger is a criminal offence in the state — and that police will enforce it.

In the UK, it is common for a group travelling to a match to have a designated driver while everyone else drinks cans of beer on the way. That practice is illegal in Texas, and Head of Football Policing Chief Constable Mark Roberts has urged fans to understand the distinction before they travel.

“So in Texas, if you’re in a car, you can’t drink in a car, even if you’re the passenger,” Roberts said. “Our understanding is the police will enforce that.”

Roberts warned that fans who hire a car and assume the usual arrangement — driver on soft drinks, passengers on beer — could find themselves pulled over by state troopers and facing arrest, missing the match entirely.

“One of the things that we don’t want is fans hiring a car, thinking they can drive out to the station, the driver is on soft drinks, everyone else is having a beer on the way,” he said. “They get pulled over by state troopers, and by accident, you’ve got an issue where people come into conflict with law enforcement.”

He acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting that England fans will encounter multiple different law enforcement agencies across three states during the group stage — Texas for the first game, Massachusetts for the second, and New Jersey for the third.

“I can’t give you a brief on all the law enforcement agencies that the fans are going to come into contact with,” Roberts said. “I think we’d always say: be a good guest, be sensible, be respectful of law enforcement if you engage. And recognise that they won’t deal with things necessarily in the same way as the British police, but you’re in a different country.”

Fans have been directed to the official Foreign Office website for a full breakdown of local laws in each state before they travel.

England open their tournament in the Texas heat next Wednesday, flying in and out of match venues from their base in Kansas City. The tournament begins with the opening ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday, and concludes with the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, July 19.