In an Approved Public Entertainment Facility, Which of the Following Is Allowed?

The answer

In an approved public entertainment facility (PEF), the practice that is allowed is: a patron may carry an open alcoholic beverage from one licensed premises to another within the facility. Because a large venue such as a stadium or arena often contains several separately licensed vendors, TABC rules permit a guest to walk with an open container between those licensed areas as long as they remain inside the facility. A person may enter or leave an individual licensed premises with an open container, provided they stay within the boundaries of the public entertainment facility itself.

What is not allowed is taking that open container outside the facility — for example, out to the parking lot or to your car. Once the beverage leaves the facility, it becomes an open-container violation.

Why the other options are wrong

Exam versions typically contrast the correct answer with prohibited actions:

• "Taking an open drink to your car" — Not allowed. The car is outside the facility, so carrying an open container there breaks the rule. The PEF exception applies only within the facility.
• "Serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated patron" — Never allowed anywhere. Over-service is a violation regardless of the venue.
• "Selling to a minor inside the facility" — Never allowed. Age laws apply fully inside a PEF.
• "Leaving the facility entirely with the beverage" — Not allowed, for the same reason as the car scenario.

Only moving an open container between licensed premises inside the facility is permitted; every option that involves leaving the facility or violating age/over-service rules is prohibited.

The bigger picture: what a PEF is and why the rule exists

A public entertainment facility is a defined arena, stadium, auditorium, or similar venue that holds one or more alcoholic-beverage permits or licenses. The special rule exists for practical reasons: at a concert or ballgame, a guest may buy a beer at one concession stand and then walk to their seat, a different bar, or another vendor — all separately licensed but all inside the same building. Without the PEF provision, simply walking between vendors with a drink would technically be an open-container violation. The rule lets normal movement happen inside the controlled environment of the facility while still enforcing the boundary at the exits.

The key mental model is a container boundary: inside the facility, open containers can move freely between licensed areas; at the facility's edge, they must stop. This keeps the venue's alcohol service manageable and prevents open containers from spilling into parking lots and public streets, where open-container laws still apply. Sellers and servers should also remember that all other TABC rules — no service to minors, no over-service to intoxicated guests — remain fully in force inside a PEF.