Are Restaurants Required To Give You Free Water?

Have you ever heard someone swear there's a law that says it doesn't count as speeding if you're just going with the flow of traffic, or one that enables you to be prosecuted for daring to pick a bouquet of California poppies (neither of which is true, by the way)? Where these legal rumors start and how they spread is a bit of a mystery, but today, we have another not-so-true law to add to the list. If you've ever wondered whether restaurants are really required to give you free water if you ask, the answer is that although they'll likely be willing to help quench your thirst, they're technically under no obligation to do so. 

If you are looking for free water, asking specifically for a cup of water, tap water, or a direct refill of your Stanley Cup or Yeti tumbler are your best bets for hydration without taxation. Upscale establishments may even offer free sparkling water if you're partial to bubbly H20. If you're a resident of California, there is a water conservation law due to drought that requires restaurants to wait for a customer to ask for water before they provide it, so don't be afraid to speak up, but do so in a respectful way. In other words, keeping the cost to the restaurant of providing you the water low, paired with being kind and polite to employees, is a winning approach. If you want a bottle of water, though? Better get ready to pull out your credit card, because essential to human survival or not, that water is guaranteed to be more expensive than the normal stuff that spews from the spout.

Although there is no national or statewide law in the United States requiring restaurants to offer water for free, certain chains may have company policy that establishes a precedent of giving out free water at their locations. This was once the case with Starbucks, but as of early 2025, free water is officially only for paying customers. This is just one of Starbucks' many policy changes this year, including free refills on hot and iced drip coffee and tea, and a return to writing messages on customers' cups.

That said, the specifics are pretty loose: For example, if the shop isn't too busy, a Starbucks barista can choose to say yes to a request for free water, even for someone who hasn't already bought a drink. Of course, if you want a cup of ice cold H2O to pair with your frappuccino, just ask — any paying customer can have water at no charge, whenever. 

To make this situation easier, certain Starbucks locations and other establishments have begun setting up self-serve water stations, allowing guests to hydrate without interrupting the flow of service. If you use one of these, though, and you're hoping to get some ice from a soda machine to cool it down, be cautious: Restaurant ice machines can be pretty dirty. You might be better off drinking your free water at room temperature.