Visitors and events
Temecula wine country: limousines, party buses and drunk drivers
If you are hurt in Temecula wine country, the drunk-driving law (Vehicle Code § 23152) often decides fault, and a limousine or party bus company must hold CPUC authority and carry liability insurance of $750,000 to $5,000,000 depending on seating. Check a carrier's TCP number on the CPUC's public search before you book.
Who is responsible when a tasting day ends in a crash
Driving under the influence of alcohol, or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more, is illegal (Vehicle Code § 23152). In the injury case, which runs separately from any criminal case, the impaired driver is usually the first person responsible. If that driver was using someone else's car with permission, California also makes the owner liable (Vehicle Code § 17150), but that owner liability is capped at $15,000 for one person's injuries (Vehicle Code § 17151). The driver's own insurance and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage often matter more.
Can the winery or tasting room be held responsible?
Usually not. Serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person is a misdemeanor, but California law says the seller or server is not civilly liable for injuries caused by the drinker's intoxication (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602). The main exception is for a licensed seller who sold or served alcohol to an obviously intoxicated minor when that was a cause of the injury (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602.1). Social hosts are also generally protected, except adults who knowingly give alcohol at their home to someone under 21 (Civil Code § 1714, subdivisions (c) and (d)).
Limousines, party buses and wine tours: the CPUC rules
A company that drives people for pay on public roads is a "charter-party carrier" (Pub. Util. Code § 5360) and must first get authority from the California Public Utilities Commission (Pub. Util. Code § 5371). The CPUC must require it to keep liability protection in force for injuries and deaths (Pub. Util. Code § 5391). The table shows what the CPUC publishes.
| What counts as a charter | Charter-party carriers (TCPs) charter vehicles for the exclusive use of an individual or group, such as a limousine for a wedding or a bus to a sporting event. [source] |
|---|---|
| Minimum insurance | Minimum liability insurance by vehicle seating capacity: 7 passengers or fewer, $750,000; 8 to 15 passengers, $1,500,000; 16 or more passengers, $5,000,000. [source] |
| CHP inspection | For any vehicle seating more than 10 (including the driver) and any modified limousine, the CPUC requests a CHP safety inspection. [source] |
| How carriers identify themselves | Licensed charter-party carriers identify themselves with the letters TCP and their permit or certificate number on vehicles and in advertising. [source] |
| Check a license | Check whether a carrier is licensed: the CPUC's Public Search for Licensed Passenger Carriers (Transportation Carrier Portal), https://tcportal.cpuc.ca.gov/TCP/s/ [source] |
| Phone | CPUC Transportation License Section: (800) 877-8867, licensing@cpuc.ca.gov. [source] |
| Complaints | The CPUC takes complaints about road transportation services such as limousine, airport shuttle and charter bus companies. [source] |
Open containers in a limo
Passengers generally may not have an open container of alcohol in a vehicle on the highway (Vehicle Code § 23223). That rule does not apply to passengers in a bus, taxicab or limousine for hire that is licensed under the Public Utilities Code or by the proper local authority (Vehicle Code § 23229), except that the rules do apply to a charter driver who carries a passenger under 21 without meeting the extra requirements for underage passengers (Vehicle Code § 23229.1). In other words, drinking on board is only lawful on a properly licensed vehicle, which is one more reason to check the TCP number.
If you were hurt as a passenger
- Write down the company name, its TCP number (shown on the vehicle), the vehicle and the driver's name.
- Check the carrier on the CPUC's public search; if it was not licensed, say so to the officer and your insurer.
- Photograph seat belts, exits, lighting and anything broken inside the vehicle, and ask other passengers for their contact details.
- Get the report number from the responding agency. Outside city limits that is often the CHP; in Temecula it is the Riverside County Sheriff under the city's contract.
| Office | Address | Phone | Area covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHP (685) Temecula Area | 27685 Commerce Center Drive, Temecula, CA 92590 | (951) 466-4300 | Southern Riverside County: I-15, I-215, SR-74, SR-79, SR-371, and hundreds of miles of unincorporated county roads. [source] |
| Riverside County Sheriff - Southwest Station | 30755 Auld Road, Suite A, Murrieta, CA 92563 | 951-696-3000 | Temecula and the De Luz Community Services District. The station is in Murrieta, but Murrieta has its own police department. [source] |
Our crash report guide explains how to request the report, and our car accident page explains how fault is decided.
Deadlines
Most injury lawsuits in California must be filed within two years (CCP § 335.1). If a city, the County, the State or another public agency may share responsibility, a written claim is generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2); our claims guide lists where to file.
Every fact on this page links to the official source it came from. We checked each one in September 2026. Agencies change fees and procedures, so confirm with the agency before you go. How we research.
Common questions
Is it legal to drink in a limousine in California?
Passengers in a limousine for hire licensed under the Public Utilities Code are exempt from the open-container rule (Vehicle Code § 23229), with an exception when the driver carries passengers under 21 without meeting the extra requirements (Vehicle Code § 23229.1).
How do I check whether a limo or party bus company is licensed?
Look for the TCP number on the vehicle or in its advertising, then use the CPUC's Public Search for Licensed Passenger Carriers at https://tcportal.cpuc.ca.gov/TCP/s/ or call the CPUC License Section at (800) 877-8867.
How much insurance does a party bus have to carry?
The CPUC's minimums depend on seating: $750,000 for 7 passengers or fewer, $1,500,000 for 8 to 15, and $5,000,000 for 16 or more.
Can I sue the winery that served the drunk driver?
Generally no. California law shields sellers and servers from civil liability for injuries caused by a drinker's intoxication (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602), with an exception for sales to obviously intoxicated minors (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25602.1).
Related pages
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